Apologetics · Theology

“…the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets;…”

Bob SnyderLeave a comment

“…the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets;…”

“Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. “The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that. “Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “The LORD said to him, ‘How?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and also prevail. Go and do so.’ “Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you.” “

(1 Kings 22:19-23 NASB)

In 1 Kings 22:19-23 we read some information that can initially be troubling to some. It is often quoted by atheists seeking to shake the faith of a believer. Properly understood, it is harmonious with the rest of God’s word. So don’t let it trouble you. Let’s see if we can shed some light on it.

We know that God is truth. We know that He is righteous and holy. Reading this passage, if not properly exegeted, could lead one to believe that God caused false prophets to lie. This would seem to conflict with what we know of the attributes of God displayed to us in the rest of His word. This seeming conflict is easily remedied when we read the scripture in context.

We understand that Satan, has to answer to God. We read this in the book of Job. Satan cannot do anything unless God allows him. This might be a tough concept, but think about it. Satan has to ask permission to do what he was doing to Job. Satan is a creature, created by God. Satan is not God’s equal, or opposite. God could destroy Satan at this very moment. God doesn’t because He is using Satan to accomplish His good will.

Ahab was one of the most wicked kings in all history. God had already pronounced judgment on him. All of Ahab’s prophets were telling him to go to war at Ramoth-Gilead, and that he would succeed.

“…Three years passed without war between Aram and Israel. In the third year Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. Now the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we are still doing nothing to take it out of the hand of the king of Aram?” And he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” …”

(1 Kings 22:1-7 NASB)

Then, we see that Jehoshaphat asks Ahab to inquire of another prophet, a prophet of the LORD or (Yhvh) So Ahab sends for Micaiah.

“…The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah.” Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are consumed.'” All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.” Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold now, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” But Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I shall speak.” When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?” And he answered him, “Go up and succeed, and the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.” Then the king said to him, “How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?” So he said, “I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains, Like sheep which have no shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let each of them return to his house in peace.'” Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” …”

(1 Kings 22:8-18 NASB)

As you can see, by adding the context of the surrounding scripture we can easily understand what is happening here. God did not cause the prophets to lie. He allowed Satan to have the spirits controlling the false prophets to lie. God used their sins sinlessly to accomplish His righteous judgment against Ahab, a wicked king. The fact that God restrains evil every moment doesn’t seem to enter into our minds, but if he didn’t we would all be worse than Pharaoh or Hitler. When God allows evil spirits or men to act how they want, we get surprised, as if God is the bad guy. Our pitiful minds default to sinful criticism of the one truly good being. That is how messed up we are. I hope this helps. If you have questions, ask your Pastor and Elders, first. If they can’t answer you feel free to ask in the comments section. If I can’t answer, I’ll try to find someone who can. God bless you.

Apologetics · cultural · evangelism

Christian Against Christian? The Divisiveness of Sin.

Bob Snyder1 Comment

I’ve been reading lots of unbiblical articles and posts, written by Christians who are criticizing the opponents of gay marriage. Most of these articles misquote and twist scripture. Which is interesting in itself, because they accuse the conservative Christians of doing that very thing. They say things like, “Christians shouldn’t judge.” We all have heard this canard and recognize it as a misunderstanding of scripture. We are to judge what God has already judged in His word and we are supposed to live our lives by it. He is the author of the law. Our laws are supposed to agree with His and they are supposed to be used in the process of judging right from wrong and good from evil. Government is ordained to agree with His laws and enforce them for the good of His people. Secularists don’t get this and won’t, unless they become regenerated by God. One of the things that strikes me from Romans 1 is this statement from God. “and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”(Romans 1:32 NASB) Did you get that last part, “Christians?” This part here, “give hearty approval to those who practice them” This is why we can’t give our approval to redefining marriage to accommodate what by definition can’t be called marriage. I am surprised that Christians could give their approval to what is against God’s decree.
The other thing I am surprised by is the lack of understanding, grace, and love towards a world that is dying in sin. We can’t put our noses in the air and only say, “gays are going to hell.” We also can’t just expect them to see our loving example and then repent and put their faith in Christ. So there are two extreme reactions we are having to this. One is the extreme of disdain without mercy, the other extreme is love without truth. Both leave the sinner without the necessary information.
We have to temper our response to sinners sinning. We should not be surprised when people act in keeping with their natures. What should our response look like? It should reasonably and accurately proclaim the truth of the Bible in a loving attitude that is genuinely concerned that the person they are addressing is headed to eternal torment where God will be pouring out His wrath on them for ever. If you are not moved by that thought to proclaim the love of Christ as expressed by His work on the cross, then you need to examine your heart. The regeneration of the sinner by the Holy Spirit does not leave a person the same. Christ’s love is not permissive or tolerant of sin. It is a perfecting love that conforms the regenerate into His likeness.

Bible Reviews

Cambridge Pitt Minions, a Tale of Three Covers.

Bob Snyder8 Comments

Comparison Review of Morocco, Calf Split, and Goatskin Leather Covered Pitt Minion NASB Bibles.

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I’m fortunate to have been sent review copies of the same Bible, covered in three types of leather that Cambridge uses. They have sent me three Cambridge Pitt Minions in NASB Bibles. One of them is covered in black Morocco leather, another in black calf split leather, and the last one is covered in brown goatskin leather.

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This review will depart from my other reviews in that I am not covering the same points over again. You can read about the Pitt Minion typeset and binding information here. Instead, I am going to compare the different types of leather covers. You can view the Cambridge page with information about their leathers here.
Here is their definition of what Morocco leather is, “Leather taken from a split hide – sheepskin, calf or cowhide. Slightly thinner than the other grades of leather and therefore relatively flexible and soft even when new. A French Morocco binding offers high-quality real leather at an economical price.” This is the cover material for the lowest priced Pitt Minion at approximately $60.00 available at online retailers.

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Here is their definition of what calf split leather is, “A superior grade to French Morocco leather, tanned to approach the quality and feel of full-grain calfskin leather.” This is the next step up from the Morocco leather and can be purchased for about $80.00 online.

calf split

Finally, here is their definition of goatskin leather, “A beautiful and very resilient top-quality, natural grain leather. Traditionally known as ‘Morocco’ leather, it is strong yet supple and is used in the finest bindings.

The best goatskins for bookbinding come from an area of northern Nigeria where environmental conditions are ideal for producing hides with the necessary balance of strength and suppleness. Here they are partially tanned using the same vegetable materials and methods that have been used for several thousand years. Traditionally, they were transported by camel across the Sahara desert to merchants in Morocco (hence the term ‘Morocco leather’) from where they would be distributed throughout the ancient world.

Cambridge uses Nigerian goatskins finished in the United Kingdom for our top-of-the range bindings.”

I understand there can be some confusion when talking about cover materials. There really isn’t a standardized nomenclature. I hope this information clears it up for anyone with questions as to why the Morocco covers were more expensive than the calf split covers. I know I’ve been asked this question before. I’ve included plenty of pictures and a video to help you see as much of the differences for yourselves, but I have to tell you, only by handling these Bibles will you be able to appreciate the qualities of each one. All three are wonderful Bibles and offer specific benefits. The price of the Morocco covered Pitt Minion makes it exceedingly affordable. You get all of the great features of the Cambridge Pitt Minion text block, like the sewn binding, thin profile, compact size, complete Bible, clearly printed modern digital font, references, and red letter text. This cover has a bit of a glossy look to it and the grain is not pebbled. It is also quite a bit thinner than the other two. However, it is vastly superior to other Bibles on the market that advertise having, “genuine leather” covers. Many of the lower quality Bibles that claim to be genuine leather are covered in split pigskin leather with an artificial grain pressed into it. They almost look plastic and are very shiny. This Morocco cover is much better and the price has remained very affordable.

For just about $20.00 more you can get the calf split leather, again with all of the great Pitt Minion features, plus a more supple, thicker, leather with a deeper natural texture. The calf split is also less shiny or glossy than the Morocco cover. This gives it a much more tactilely pleasing feel in your hand. I’ve also noticed that it softens up quite well after it is broken in.

For about $100.00 you can acquire the Pitt Minion covered in goatskin leather.

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I know it seems like a lot of money, but when you pick one up you’ll understand why it is more. The goatskin covers have a finer pebbled grain that is soft to the touch. It is softer than the calf split or top grain leathers while remaining durable.

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If you have ever held a sheepskin leather Bible you would find that it is very supple, but susceptible to scratches and tears. The goatskin is great because it has the best features of both types of leather. It is soft and supple while remaining effective at protecting the text block. None of these three are edge lined so you won’t be doing any, “Bible yoga” with them. I wouldn’t recommend bending them that much regardless. Even if a Bible is flexible enough to bend like you might see some people do online, it isn’t a good idea.

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Over time it will loosen your binding too much and prematurely wear it out.
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No matter what your budget is you can find a Pitt Minion to fit and be assured that it will last long enough for your kids to enjoy if you treat it with respect.

Make sure to check out the rest of the pictures on the flickr page.

You can purchase these Bibles on Amazon, Christianbook, or Cambridge Press.

Uncategorized

Calvin’s Institutes Book 3 Chapter 7 Section 10

Bob SnyderLeave a comment

10. Nor is it in this respect only that pious minds ought to manifest this tranquillity and endurance; it must be extended to all the accidents to which this present life is liable. He alone, therefore, has properly denied himself, who has resigned himself entirely to the Lord, placing all the course of his life entirely at his disposal. Happen what may, he whose mind is thus composed will neither deem himself wretched nor murmur against God because of his lot. How necessary this disposition is will appear, if you consider the many accidents to which we are liable. Various diseases ever and anon attack us: at one time pestilence rages; at another we are involved in all the calamities of war. Frost and hail, destroying the promise of the year, cause sterility, which reduces us to penury; wife, parents, children, relatives, are carried off by death; our house is destroyed by fire. These are the events which make men curse their life, detest the day of their birth, execrate the light of heaven, even censure God, and (as they are eloquent in blasphemy) charge him with cruelty and injustice. The believer must in these things also contemplate the mercy and truly paternal indulgence of God. Accordingly, should he see his house by the removal of kindred reduced to solitude even then he will not cease to bless the Lord; his thought will be, Still the grace of the Lord, which dwells within my house, will not leave it desolate. If his crops are blasted, mildewed, or cut off by frost, or struck down by hail, and he sees famine before him, he will not however despond or murmur against God, but maintain his confidence in him; “We thy people, and sheep of thy pasture, will give thee thanks for ever” (Psa_79:13); he will supply me with food, even in the extreme of sterility. If he is afflicted with disease, the sharpness of the pain will not so overcome him, as to make him break out with impatience, and expostulate with God; but, recognising justice and lenity in the rod, will patiently endure. In short, whatever happens, knowing that it is ordered by the Lord, he will receive it with a placid and grateful mind, and will not contumaciously resist the government of him, at whose disposal he has placed himself and all that he has. Especially let the Christian breast eschew that foolish and most miserable consolation of the heathen, who, to strengthen their mind against adversity, imputed it to fortune, at which they deemed it absurd to feel indignant, as she was ascopos (aimless) and rash, and blindly wounded the good equally with the bad. On the contrary, the rule of piety is, that the hand of God is the ruler and arbiter of the fortunes of all, and, instead of rushing on with thoughtless violence, dispenses good and evil with perfect regularity.

Apologetics

Apparently, “love is love” is not the same as, “abortion is murder.”

Bob SnyderLeave a comment

Apparently, “love is love” is not the same as, “abortion is murder.”  Who would have guessed?  God makes a distinction in His word about killing according to His will in a war of His command and murder from a murderous heart.  Guess what, He also makes a distinction in His word about types of love.  The only acceptable “eros” kind of love is between a husband and wife.  All other instances of that kind of love in God’s word is defined as sinful.

Uncategorized

What is happening now is the Judgment of God against us for our many national sins, like sacrificing our babies to Molech.

Bob Snyder1 Comment

First is the reason for God’s punishment of the people.

After you read His charges against mankind, I’ll have the punishment for you to read listed. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.” Romans 1:18-23 NASB)


Here is the punishment from God against the people in His judgment;

“Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”
(Romans 1:24-32 NASB)

Uncategorized

God Opposes the Supreme Court!

Bob SnyderLeave a comment

A good article.

Mark Anthony Escalera's avatarChrist Alone Wyoming

FOR THE RECORD — DEFCON STANDS OPPOSED TO THE SUPREME COURT!!!

No matter what the Supreme Court says, there is One Who is supreme above all men and governments, and He has stated that homosexuality is an abomination. It is a very sad day for America that the moral foundations upon which this nation were built has just been trashed and trampled underfoot. If there is no repentance and forgiveness sought from God, there will be no mercy.

Despite the horrendous news that our beloved nation has taken a huge leap toward the pit of being an amoral society, I am SO THANKFUL that there are some things that will never change.

Imed_gods-sovereignty-3_july-27

1. God is STILL sovereign.

2. God knew the Supreme Court would stand against His Word. He is NOT asleep and is not slumbering.

3. Psalm 2 reminds us that while the rulers and kings stand against the…

View original post 381 more words

Book Reviews

A Review of, “The Good, the Bad, and the Grace of God, What Honesty and Pain Taught Us About Faith, Family, and Forgiveness.”

Bob SnyderLeave a comment

By Jep and Jessica Robertson, with Susy Flory

What can I say? I think the Robertson family is funny. I can’t help liking them. When I saw this book come up for review, I decided to read it, considering how much garbage is put out by Harper Collins. Harper Collins owns Zondervan, Thomas Nelson, and Westbow. Seriously, most of the books coming out of these publishers for Christian book stores are heretical, seeker sensitive, neo-liberal, drivel. That being said, this book was written by baptismal regeneration heretics. You could see them hint around a bit in the text of the book. Their beliefs seem orthodox, until you start understanding their take on baptism and regeneration.

Thankfully this book is not a work on theology. It is about their lives and in that area it was very informative, engaging, and entertaining. I read it very quickly and enjoyed getting to know how simple this couple is. Their unorthodox beliefs about baptismal regeneration aside, they seem like a couple of people who have had very similar struggles to many people you or I would know. Jep struggled with drugs when he was younger. He was molested by an older girl when he was a very young boy. This led to a pornography problem as an adult. Jesse struggled with self-esteem issues, was taken advantage of by an inappropriate older man who was her youth pastor, married him out of pressure, divorced within a year, and shamed. They share about how their relationship started, how their faith in God set their focus on Him instead of their own brokenness, and how they both came to believe in God.
If you’re a fan of the Duck Dynasty show, and would like to know more about the youngest brother, then read this book. It is a quick easy read, that will make you feel like you have known them for their entire lives. Don’t read this book for a theology lesson. The Church of Christ that they belong to needs to renounce baptismal regeneration.

cultural

No respect for the sanctity of marriage, family, or life.

Bob SnyderLeave a comment

The way Satan has used liberal secularism to corrupt society.

Sin in the hearts of the spiritually dead and dark aligned with the will of their master have been at work in this world system for a long time. What we see here in America is nothing new, but it is new to us. During the sexual revolution in the 60’s and 70’s we saw rebellion against God in the form of sensual liberty come to fruition. It was fueled by men and women who desired sex without submission to God or commitment to a spouse. This of course lead to the popularization of the, “no fault divorce.” Some of the lawmakers meant well. They sought to fix a problem with corruption and lies used to get a favorable divorce. One of those lawmakers was Ronald Reagan, who later on referred to it as one of his biggest mistakes. Here is a link to an informative article about the development of divorce in America.

Whenever we think that we can get away with condoning a sin, culture wide, in the nation we are deceived. Look at the repercussions of divorce. It is obvious the damage it has done to our society since it has become an acceptable part of our culture. Then with it has come the alleged sexual liberation of women. This is a lie from Satan. Women have actually just tightened the bonds of their slave master. They have become even more oppressed by the enemy. His hatred for God and His creations is so palpable to the regenerated that we wonder why the world cannot see it. Of course we know that they are blind and dead in their sin. We do understand. We just find ourselves in awe of the depravity masquerading as freedom. Hasn’t that always been the method, inversion of the gospel, to make Satan the liberator? Satan in the garden questioned God’s word and ensured Adam and Eve that they would not die and that God didn’t want them to become like Him. He deceives us into thinking that we shouldn’t have to be subject to God and that we should do what we feel like doing.

After divorce came rampant sex outside of marriage otherwise known as adultery. Some of you might be saying, “Hold on there! Adultery is when you cheat on your spouse, not sex as a single person with other single people.” Well, you’d be wrong. If you read God’s word it is evident that marriage between one man and one woman is the only ordained and acceptable relationship in which to have sex. This is not a thing to be redefined by society. It is a command of God. Everyone who is having sex with someone they are not married to is an adulterer. Everyone who divorces their spouse for reasons other than adultery is an adulterer. Since society has made marriageless sex culturally acceptable. We can see the consequences in conjunction with divorce. There are millions of fatherless children, millions of single mothers, millions of deadbeat dads, and to deal with the consequences, or judgments from God, we don’t repent. Instead we make abortion culturally acceptable. That’s right, murder, infanticide, America’s best way to cut down the number of, “unwanted pregnancies.” Murder is murder no matter how you phrase it. As we experience judgment from God for our wickedness, we don’t repent. We just keep on piling on the punishment. Our national notion is, “Hey, now that we have progressed socially so much let’s progress some more. We have finally beaten those stupid, bigoted, cavemen. They are silenced now by anti-discrimination laws, so let’s get all of our agenda.”

Now we have the addition of the gay agenda and gender identity sin. Homosexuality is actually a judgment of God upon a nation. We have been given over to it because of our rebellion. America is under judgment right now. Things will get worse if as a nation we don’t come to God in repentance. People will be identifying themselves as animals and marrying animals. Pedophilia will become a protected minority. It is disgusting. How long will this go on?

The things that God has set apart, the enemy has been systematically taking apart. We just sit by and cry about our situation. We need to get off our hind ends and be the salt and light. We need to take the God’s honest truth out into the world and proclaim it at all costs. Preach the gospel with words to everyone you come in contact with. Take a stand for Christ and His gospel. If we don’t obey the great commission who will? How can we expect the situation to change if people’s hearts are still bound to the darkness and the enemies will? Preach repentance and faith in Christ and some will be reborn. They will go out and preach and more will be added. The country needs more gospel and less self. Don’t be ashamed of Christ before men or He will be ashamed of you before the Father.

Bible Reviews

A Review of the Holman KJV Rainbow Study Bible in Mantova Brown LeatherTouch.

Bob Snyder4 Comments

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This Bible was shipped in a cardboard box and arrived undamaged. The retail box is a two piece box and should be retained for storage.
 
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I was pleasantly surprised by the cover. Most synthetic covers feel very cheap and sometimes smell like chemicals. This one felt quite a bit like a cowhide cover, albeit very thin.
 
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I was concerned about the quality of this Bible due to the Chinese manufacture.
 
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Several of the Chinese manufactured Bibles I’ve received lately from various publishers have been poorly constructed and/or have been odoriferous. This one did not smell like anything. It was just lacking any noticeable odor. The construction was solid. It was not anything special as far as materials go, but they did a good job with what they had.
The inside cover is lined with brown paper to match the color of the cover.
 
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The perimeter is stitched as well.
 
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The spine is gilt with, “KJV” at the head, “Holman Rainbow Study Bible” under that runs parallel with the spine, “Every Verse Color Coded, Bold Line Edition” under that, and the Holman logo at the bottom.
 
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There is one brown ribbon marker. The binding is sewn for durability and flexibility.
 
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This is probably one of the more flexible inexpensive Bible’s I’ve seen to date.
 
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It does need to be worked over a lot when you first get it. The page edges are gilt in gold colored foil.
 
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The pages are all stuck together due to the liberal use of pigments on every page. This is not uncommon where publishers use a lot of color in a Bible. Once you get the pages separated, hopefully without tearing any of them, you can get down to using it. The paper is sufficiently opaque. Having every section of text printed in a colored field also helps cut down ghosting, while reducing contrast between the text and page.
 
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I have mixed feelings about this. I like to have good contrast between the text and page, but I also like to have as little ghosting as possible. The colored fields correspond to their category at the bottom of the page. There are twelve categories.
 
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I don’t find this particularly useful. I would prefer that they break down their categories into hermeneutical ones. For instance the categories they use are; Discipleship, Outreach, God, Salvation, Love, Commandments, Family, Faith, Prophecy, Evil, Sin, and History. I would have preferred something more along the lines of; Lexical-syntactical, Historical/cultural, Contextual, Theological, and Special literary. There could be a color for different lexical variations. There could be colors for historical and cultural differentiations. It would be great to see a color for poetic language, one for apocalyptic language, one for historical narrative, and so on. I hope you get the idea. I would find this immensely more helpful than the system that is employed. Not to mention that the bar at the bottom that acts as the key has many colors that are very subdued and similar. It is difficult to readily identify what you are looking at on the page. I am not color blind, I assure you. I do enjoy all of the maps and drawings dispersed throughout.
 
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I found them informative and clarifying. In place of red letter text this Bible employs an underlining system and goes a step further. The words of God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all underlined giving them equal import and attention. Of course many of us end up underlining the entire Bible after we have had it for a while. So this would get in the way of your own underlining just like the colored background fields don’t lend themselves to highlighting.
 
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Holman’s product information has this to say, “The Holman Rainbow Study Bible: KJV Edition has a unique color-coding system that allows readers to identify quickly and easily twelve major themes of Scripture throughout the text: God, discipleship, love, faith, sin, evil, salvation, family, outreach, commandments, history, and prophecy. The system also underlines all words directly spoken by God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Other features of this Bible include 12 pages of color maps with index, a Bible reading calendar, concordance, subject guide, Table of Weights and Measures, “Know What God Says,” “100 Popular Passages,” and “365 Popular Bible Quotations for Memorization and Meditation.”
I like when Bibles have reading plans in them. I also like to have a concordance. This one has those features and some extras like, some ruled pages for notes in the back. It is not your typical study Bible.  It lacks all of the footnotes at the bottom of the page.  It is not an overly thick Bible. I found it comfortable to hold and use. Because it isn’t very thick it also isn’t very heavy. The binding and cover make it easy to hold in your hands or lay on your lap to read. The font is also large enough to read easily. I did not get the font size from the publisher, but if I had to guess, I’d say it is 8-10 pt.
 
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Overall, I really liked the form and layout. It is a double column, verse format, with center column cross references.
 
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For an inexpensive KJV Bible with some interesting added features that remains fairly light and comfortable to hold, I don’t think you could go wrong with this Bible. My only concern would be uniform quality control from the Chinese manufacturer. As long as Holman can keep strict quality control they should have a winner here.

Make sure to check out all of the pictures on the flickr page 🙂

Format: Imitation Leather
Number of Pages: 1632
Vendor: Holman Bible Publishers
Publication Date: 2014
Dimensions: 9.25 X 6.25 X 1.5 (inches)
ISBN: 1586409115
ISBN-13: 9781586409111
Availability: In Stock