Hyper-Arminianism, What!?

January 18, 2015June 8, 2025 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

anderson

I’m a Calvinist. I get very tired of hearing people say, “Hyper-Calvinist” as if that is a thing. “…The term originated in the 19th century as a sometimes-pejorative descriptor predated by terms such as “false Calvinism” and “High Calvinism”…” People sling this pejorative around instead of just addressing the particular heresy that a person embraces while calling themselves a Calvinist. People just label them, “Hyper-Calvinist.” Do we see Calvinists labeling Arminians as, “Hyper-Arminians” if they are actually Pelagians, Open Theists, or Free Grace Movement heretics? No, we just site the specific heresy. Then, inform the heretic of their error in hopes that they are a material heretic. We hope that they would then repent and adhere to orthodoxy. Sometimes of course they will not repent. In their refusal they prove themselves to be formal heretics. Labeling a heretic a, “Hyper-Calvinist” casts Calvinists in a negative light. Often times Arminians will launch into a screed against Calvinists. They do this, because in their minds there is such a thing as a, “Hyper-Calvinist.” This artifice is a construct of a prejudicial person. The bias is one that we as Calvinists must start to debunk. We have been guilty of embracing this term. It needs to be retired from our nomenclature.

A Review of Todd Friel’s Book, “Jesus Unmasked: The Truth Will Shock You”

January 15, 2015 Bob Snyder1 Comment

The title of this book is pretty indicative of the subject matter. The author succeeds at explaining who Jesus was and is. He teaches that Christ is the focus of the Bible in its entirety. He demonstrates how Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies, shadows and types. All of this is done with simple terms when possible. When it is not possible Mr. Friel explains the nomenclature for the laymen.

I have to make a small disclaimer here. I am a big fan of, “Wretched Radio.” It is a radio show and podcast. Todd Friel is the host/on-air personality. I have learned a lot, a lot, a lot, from the show over the years. My review will be from the perspective of a Reformed Baptist and a fan of the show. So don’t expect much in the way of negativity. I honestly agree with all of what is said in the book. I find it to be Biblically sound and interesting to read. It is a, “must read” for everybody. If you’ve just been born again or if you’ve been 50 years into the sanctification process this book will edify you.

In the first chapter the author deals with world views, specifically post-modernism. This was a great place to start as a philosophy class on epistemology would not be beneficial for the target audience. This is a short chapter that sets the tone for the rest of the book. You get a look at the serious subject matter and a look at some of Todd’s humor that makes him such an interesting fellow to listen to. It is obvious that he has a level of mastery of the subject matter without coming off as an aloof overlord.

The following chapters flesh out some basics of Christian theology in simple terms. Then he gets down to the bulk of the work, which is highlighting Christ from the beginning of the Bible to the end. Vary rarely in Christian books of around 200 pages do we get such a complete and profound picture of Jesus. Most of the books I’ve reviewed in the recent past have been theological fluff, Christian cotton candy, hardly worth reading at all. You know how you feel after eating junk for a month? Yep! That’s how most “Christian books” leave me feeling after reading them. They were time killers with not nutritional value. I probably would have got more out of them if I’d eaten them. Well, that is not so of this work. I would rank it up there with, “The Holiness of God” by R. C. Sproul, or maybe, “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan.

The main way that the author highlights Christ throughout the entire Bible is by expounding on the prophecies, shadows, and types, that Jesus fulfills. This can be a bit tricky. I’ve seen some pretty bad attempts that only make the Bible look disjunct. When done correctly, as in this case, the Bible comes alive. The harmony of scripture sings to the heart and mind of the believer who sees the richness and majesty of the true faith established once and for all by God. Being able to see the ark Noah built and understand that it is a look forward to Jesus. Seeing the rock that sprang forth lifesaving water in the desert for the Israelites, and how Jesus is the better fount. Seeing the Sabbath, from our perspective, looking back to recognize rest in Christ’s work. These and many more examples fill the pages of this book. The gospel is fleshed out fully and explicitly. You won’t find a list of, “do’s” to check off, and you won’t find some silly, formulaic, “pray this prayer.” You will understand who Jesus is, what you are, what He has done, and how you should respond. If you have loved ones who aren’t saved, get them this book. If you have friends or family who are young in their faith, get them this book. If you have become a crusty old codger, get yourself this book. It will blow the carbon out of the old exhaust and get you fired up again.

You can buy this book from the wretched store.

You can pick up a copy at Christianbook.com

You can purchase it from the publisher Newleaf

or you can get it on Amazon in different formats including audio.

Bible Reviews

The Modern English Version (MEV) a Curious and Surprising Translation.

January 14, 2015January 15, 2015 Bob Snyder15 Comments

I came across the MEV by chance while searching for different translations. I was curious because I have never heard of the MEV before. When looking into it I found out some more details that made me even more curious. I found out that it is a modern translation that seeks to be as “word for word” accurate as it can be while maintaining the King James text in modern English. I was a bit puzzled by this as we now have many more manuscripts, some are older and some are more reliable than the Textus Receptus. As for a modern version of the KJV, well we already have the New King James Version (NKJV) as for modern translations, I prefer the NASB as it makes use of many of the manuscripts we have discovered over the last couple hundred years without including the errors Erasmus made for the sake of expediency. This is one of the differences between the MEV and other modern translations. It is kind of like building a modern car, but using an old flat head motor. The Textus Receptus isn’t horrible, it just isn’t as good as the manuscripts we now have.

With those concerns considered I turned my attention to the actual translation of the MEV. I’m glad to say, that so far this has turned out to be pretty accurate and reliable. I’ve been reading it with my NA28, NASB, KJV, and NKJV side by side. I actually prefer the way the MEV renders some words over the NASB. For instance, in the New Testament the NASB renders, “Χριστός” as, “Messiah” instead of, “Christ” where the MEV renders it as, “Christ.” The MEV makes us of capital letters when referring to God, but not as much as the NASB. The NASB does a better job in other areas as well. For instance in John 1:5 I like the rendering of, “κατέλαβεν” as, “comprehend” more than, “overcome.” I understand that there is the implication in the Greek of struggling with a concept to finally comprehend it or overcome it. I just think that the English word, “overcome” has connotations that could lead one to think of a contest, battle, or race, without and missing out on the more important implication of comprehension.

Here is an excerpt from the MEV page, “The MEV is a translation of the Textus Receptus and the Jacob ben Hayyim edition of the Masoretic Text, using the King James Version as the base manuscript. The MEV is a literal translation. It is also often referred to as a formal correspondence translation. The Committee on Bible Translation began their work on the MEV in 2005 and completed it in 2013.” It also appears that some of the endorsers mention that this is the 1611 authorized with modern language. These lead me to believe that they haven’t fixed the problems that Erasmus introduced. Here are the last 8 verses from Revelation out of the 1611 Authorized KJV, the Cambridge KJV, The MEV, and the NASB, in that order:

“14 Blessed are they that do his commandements, that they may haue right to the tree of life, and may enter in thorow the gates into the citie.

14Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.

15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoeuer loueth and maketh a lie.

15For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

15 Outside are dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters and everyone who loves and practices a lie.

15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

16 I Iesus haue sent mine Angel, to testifie vnto you these things in the Churches. I am the roote and the offspring of Dauid, and the bright and morning starre.

16I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things [fn]for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

17 And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth, say, Come. And let him that is a thirst, come. And whosoeuer will, let him take the water of life freely.

17And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let him who hears say, “Come.” Let him who is thirsty come. Let him who desires take the water of life freely.

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.

18 For I testifie vnto euery man that heareth the wordes of the prophesie of this booke, If any man shal adde vnto these things, God shall adde vnto him the plagues, that are written in this booke.

18For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book.

18I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;

19 And if any man shall take away from the wordes of the booke of this prophesie, God shal take away his part out of the booke of life, and out of the holy citie, and from the things which are written in this booke.

19And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

19 And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life and out of the Holy City and out of the things which are written in this book.

19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and [fn]from the holy city, which are written in this book.

20 Hee which testifieth these things, saith, Surely, I come quickly. Amen. Euen so, Come Lord Iesus.

20He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”

Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus!

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

21 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

21The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. {THE END.}

21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with [fn]all. Amen.

You can see some of the differences between translations due to the error of Erasmus in the above verses. Of course the first three translations will look more alike when compared to the last one. The NASB is a modern translation that utilized more than just the Textus Receptus. It used the third edition of Rudolf Kittel’s Biblia Hebraica, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia for the Hebrew. It used the Eberhard Nestle’s Novum Testamentum Graece for the Greek.

According to their web page they were not allowing any cultural or theological agendas to dictate how they did their translation. I’m glad to see that there isn’t any gender neutral nonsense so far as I have read.

Overall it accomplishes what it sets out to do. It brings the KJV into modern English. I think it does a better job in some areas and could be better in others. I think they should fix the problems with the work of Erasmus.

The Bible Passio sent me to review is a Thinline Reference Bible. Here is an excerpt from their product page, “Thinline Reference Bible Black Leatherlike ATTRACTIVE AND LIGHTWEIGHT, this Thinline Reference Bible is a Bible your customers can take anywhere. Complete with study tools such as cross-references, a concordance, and four-color maps, it is sure to be a favorite for home, church, or giving as a gift.” The Bible was provided gratis for the purpose of review by Passio. It arrived in an envelope.

It was packaged in a card-paper sleeve. The sleeve or slipcase is not heavy enough to use for storage and actually was bent quite a bit from being mailed.

The Bible itself didn’t suffer too much, just some bent corners. The MEV was printed and bound in America.

I found this refreshing. So many of the Bibles I review are imported from China and South Korea. The Bible was covered with what they call a black leatherlike cover. It was black. It was textured. That was about where the similarities ended. This had some of the cheapest cover material I’ve ever seen.

The inside cover is lined with paper.

Keep in mind that this Bible has a very low price, very white opaque paper with sharply printed text.

We have to be fair. You can pick up a copy for around $20.00 online. The paper is 19.8 lb basis weight Tervakoski. According to the publisher it is the equivalent of approximately 29.3 gsm. Having used this Bible for a couple of weeks now, I’d have to agree. The paper is pretty opaque given its light weight and how thin it is. The font is an 8 point Delima MT Std regular. The words of Christ are in red.

The text is arranged in a typical double column format with center column references. There are not as many cross references as I’d like to see.

I have a feeling that there will be more as the translation matures. The page edges are gilded.

There is one black ribbon marker. The ribbon is narrow, thick, and seems to be better quality than most of the Bibles in the same price range.

There are short book introductions before each book and when a book ends the next book starts on a new page sometimes giving you room for notes at the end of the book.

There is a helpful concordance in the back and after that 4 color maps.

Now keeping in mind that this is a $20 Thinline Bible I want to tell you how impressed I am with its flexibility. After only a couple of hours of use this thing is flexible enough to double over and to wrap around itself. It is great for carrying with you in a bag or lunch box. It isn’t so expensive as to make you afraid to use it. It isn’t so small you can’t read the text. It is a very practical Bible if you are looking for an inexpensive Thinline to carry and read.

Amazon has them here.

ISBN-13: 978-1621369967

Bible Reviews

He said, “It is a Waterproof Bible!” I said, “What?”

January 13, 2015 Bob Snyder1 Comment

Review of the English Standard Version (ESV) Waterproof Bible from Bardin & Marsee Publishing

The first time I saw a waterproof Bible it was a local Christian book store. It seemed like a good idea. At that time in my life I was planning for the end of the world, doomsday scenario. The Bible was a KJV, so I wasn’t that interested. Fast-forward a bit and now they make one in ESV. I was very curious as to how they accomplished this feat of Bible construction. I requested one for review from the publisher. They sent one for me gratis for the purpose of honest review.

I’m not going to lie. The idea of pouring water onto any book without damaging it is pretty novel. That novelty earns it some points. Aside from the novelty, there are many practical reasons for having a waterproof Bible. I like the notion of having a Bible I can take to Church Camp or Men’s Retreat, and not have to worry about it getting wet or dirty. I can put it in my bag with my toothpaste and not worry about it getting messed up if the cap comes off. I can read it at the table and not worry about spilling my drink on it. If it does get messy from food, drink, dirt, mud, etc. I can just rinse it off and dry it with a towel or rag.

Some of the active peeps I know love their apps. Bible apps are fine, but one update and the enemy can change all the content of the Bible so that it isn’t the same anymore. Try pouring some coffee on your tablet or phone while reading your Bible via an app! Good luck with that move. Don’t drop your tablet in the dirt next to the fire pit. You’ll break your screen. What about when that battery gets low bro? What then? I love having a printed copy in hand to read from. So if it is the Bible you run to the hills with, it won’t get remotely updated. I jest… not really… OK, I’m kidding…

The Waterproof Bible was shipped to me packed in a cardboard box cushioned with paper packing material.

The Bible is a bit heavier than a comparably sized conventional Bible. I think this is due to the materials used in the manufacture of this Bible. It was in pretty good shape when it arrived. The corners were a little bent, but not bad.

The Bible is printed in China.

The page material seems to be some kind of plastic material that is very, very opaque. This is a good thing. You can’t see the text through the page.

One problem with this Bible is that the pages and text are a bit glossy. In sunlight they are pretty bright. The cover is blue and white. The signatures are sewn and glued together.

If you look closely enough you can see that they use a pretty heavy looking cord to sew them together.

Since the pages aren’t conventional paper, I don’t see this Bible getting damaged. It is a good investment even if you aren’t looking for a Bible to take into the wild. It will survive the urban jungle as well. Youth Pastors know what I mean. There are short book introductions before each book.

The 8 point font text is arranged in a double column format with references at the bottom of the page.

You can underline with pencils and ball-point pens. Pens will dent the pages and sometimes skip. Pencils do the same. I wouldn’t buy this with the intentions of putting a bunch of notes in it. I found that underlining is very doable, but note taking would be tough. Wet highlighters won’t work, but dry ones and sharpies will. There are no maps, concordance, or any other helps. The Bible would be too heavy if it did have them.

If you are in the market for a very tough Bible that will live up to your active life, then this is the Bible for you. Clearly printed font, no ghosting, rugged, and practical, this Bible is perfect for extreme applications. Take it anywhere and no worries.

9781609690120

You can purchase one directly from the publisher at the link below,

http://www.bardinmarsee.com/p-69-esv-waterproof-bible.aspx

or you can purchase one here, Amazon or here, Christianbook

Book Reviews · Theology

A Review of, “Learn to Read New Testament Greek” and the Workbook.

January 2, 2015January 2, 2015 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

This isn’t going to be like my typical Bible or book reviews. I am going to spend some time using the text book and workbook. I will try to post updates every week or so. I will inform you of my progress, ease of use, and general effectiveness of the material. The first week was pretty simple. The book introduced the Greek alphabet and some basics about vowels, consonants, breathing marks, accents, punctuation, phonology and morphology, and diphthongs. The workbook was useful for using the subject matter of the textbook. However, there is no answer key in the back of the workbook so you’ll need to make certain you have a command of the subject matter before moving on, or you’ll have to get the help of a friend who already knows Koine Greek. Since this is just the first week lesson, I don’t have much to report. I hope you check back to see how it is going. So long for now.

You can purchase the textbook on Christianbook and on Amazon for about $18.50.

You can get the workbook on Christianbook and on Amazon for about $20.00

Bible Reviews

Another Excellent Bible from Cambridge, the Clarion NKJV Bible in Brown Genuine Calfskin.

January 1, 2015January 1, 2015 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

I begin by referring you to my previous review of the Cameo from Cambridge. The two Bibles were delivered in the same packaging from Cambridge. Both have the sewn bindings and both are covered with the same brown calfskin. You can read about those aspects in that review.

The Clarion from Cambridge is an example of modern Bible design done right. Here is a quote from the Cambridge website about the Clarion in NKJV;

“A Cambridge Clarion edition represents an unusual and attractive combination of features – a very readable text in a paragraph style, with a single-column layout – all within a personal size reference Bible format. Here, the NKJV text is presented in a single column with the cross-references in the outer margin, giving the page a very well laid out appearance. The font size is a little under 9 point with generous line spacing. It is typeset in Lexicon No.1, a modern digital font which has many of the characteristics usually associated with traditional Bible typefaces – in particular, a degree of readability more usually associated with much larger type. The Bible has 15 new colour maps and a concordance. There are two ribbons to keep the place in different parts of the Bible. This is a Bible of the very highest quality, printed on India paper with art-gilt edges, Smyth-sewn for flexibility and endurance, and bound in brown calfskin leather”

Chances are if you are considering the purchase of the Clarion NKJV Bible in brown calfskin, you have a list of desired attributes in mind; manageable size, legibility, quality sewn binding, beautiful and durable cover, and so on. The Clarion fits the niche almost perfectly in my opinion. It brings together many desirable features without sacrificing too much in the other areas of design. The Clarion is larger than the Cameo. It is definitely thicker. The thickness of the Clarion does make it a bit more to hold than the Cameo, but the font is so much more legible. The tradeoff is well worth it. Because of the thicker format the Clarion can use a larger font. It is a modern font, printed with modern technology making it very clear and sharp. The Cameo’s font was cleaned up, but still doesn’t compare to the font of the Clarion.

Another wonderful attribute is that you can get the Clarion in different translations. Currently it is available in the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the English Standard Version (ESV), the King James Version (KJV), and the New King James Version (NKJV), which I am reviewing.

So besides the size, font, and available modern translations, the Clarion also breaks in very well. I have been using an NASB Clarion in goatskin for my daily reading and it has become my standard for comparison. The NKJV in calfskin adds some rigidity to the cover. Instead of being edge lined and perimeter stitched with a very flexible material it uses a more common process of vinyl inner liners glued down to the outer cover. The added structure can be a pro to some and a con to others. In my opinion, if this Bible were thinner the stiffer cover would be a pro, but it is just a bit too thick. I can’t roll the cover all the way around like I can with the goatskin covered Clarion. It makes it a little less comfortable for me. The cameo gets the size right for this type of cover, but at the sacrifice of font size, line spacing. These all have an effect on the ease of reading. If you are going to buy the Clarion, I’d suggest the goatskin. Of course this is just my opinion. Everyone has different sized hands and preferences. I suggest looking one over in the Christian book store, or getting your friend to let you borrow theirs for a few minutes. It is not a small investment for most people. Because of the quality of craftsmanship and materials used it will be with you for a long time. So it is important that you do your research before buying a lifetime companion like the Cambridge Clarion.

This Bible is covered with a genuine calfskin in brown.

It is very supple and soft. On the front of this Bible is hot stamped, “Holy Bible” in gold. The spine of the cover has, “Holy Bible” at the top, “New King James Version” immediately under that. At the bottom of the spine is, “Cambridge” in gold as well. There are modest hubs worked into the spine as well.

The inner vinyl liners are black and glued neatly to the calfskin.

The calfskin has been folded over and finished uniformly. The corners are all perfectly finished. There are two ribbon markers that are color matched to the cover. The ribbon markers are about a quarter inch wide.

The page edges are art gilded. This gives them a distinctive look that you won’t find on less expensive Bibles.

The paper is high quality opaque paper. It is slightly off white and contrasts with the black font nicely. The text is printed in a single column, paragraph format with line matching. Line matching is when the lines of text are printed in such a way so as to make the text on one side of the page directly opposite of the text on the other side of the page. This aids in legibility. The font is large enough to be easily read yet small enough to keep the size of the Clarion down. It is clearly, and uniformly printed.

It has a useful concordance and the maps are printed on a heavier paper with a matte finish.

The sewn binding is of the quality I’ve come to expect from Cambridge. The Clarion opens well and lays flat when opened.

To sum up, the Clarion is an excellent Bible that fills a big niche in the Bible market. Many Christians are on the lookout for a Bible that travels well, is easy on the eyes while reading, and is well made. The Clarion fits the bill and is available in some great translations. Check out Cambridge Press’ Page. You can pick up a copy of this Bible on evangelicalbible.com for about $140.00 and you can also get it from Amazon for about $120.00 and Christianbook for about $155.00

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ISBN-13: 9781107664425

isbn: 9781107664425

ISBN: 110766442X

NKJV Clarion Reference Bible NK485:X Brown Calfskin Leather

Uncategorized

What about those shepherds?

December 29, 2014December 29, 2014 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

OK friends so check this out. Abel was a shepherd. Abraham was a shepherd and led the people out according to the promise of God. Moses was a shepherd in Midian and led the people out of bondage according to God’s will. They rebelled and he led them around the wilderness. David was a shepherd boy who became a King and led the people. God sent an angel to reveal to shepherds where the Christ was born. The shepherds led us to the Baby Jesus in the manger. Jesus is our shepherd who leads us out of bondage to sin according to God’s will. Cool…

Bible Reviews

Need a Chinese language New Testament? Review of the Mandarin CSB/CUV Parallel New Testament, Black Bonded Leather from Holman.

December 25, 2014 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

This New Testament in CSB/CUV according to what I’ve read is very clear and easy to understand. I do not understand Chinese. I am reviewing this New Testament from a quality and value perspective. I received it gratis from Holman for the purpose of review. This New Testament was well packaged and arrived in great condition. It was shipped in a box with a couple other books; a copy of, “Learn to Read New Testament Greek” and the workbook, “Learn to Read New Testament Greek, Workbook.” I will be doing more in depth reviews of those resources throughout the coming year. Obviously, learning Greek will be an ongoing adventure and require more than a week to do the review of those resources.

The New Testament provided is a parallel, meaning that it presents both the text from the Chinese Standard Bible (CSB) and the Chinese Union Version. (CUV)

The cover is black bonded leather.

If you are not familiar with bonded leather it is made from leather scraps that are bonded together with adhesive and died to the desired color. It is less expensive and pretty durable. It doesn’t hold up as well as leather and is not as flexible. The inside of the cover is lined with black paper glued down.

It appears to have a sewn binding.

This will add to the durability. There is a presentation page and some publication notes with translation notes.

There is one black ribbon marker and the page edges are gilded.

The words of Christ are in red.

The paper is very opaque. The hanzi characters are printed clearly with sufficient contrast to make out all of the details.

There is even a concordance of Chinese hanzi characters in the back. Included are some colored maps. If you know someone whose first language is Chinese and they are interested in knowing more about Jesus this is a good value for evangelism. It is not so expensive that you couldn’t afford to buy several of them, and it is made well enough to last them for a while. If your primary language is Chinese and you would like a New Testament to carry around as you witness to people this one would fit the bill. It is a good value at around eleven dollars from some retail sites.

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Bible Reviews

Wow, the Cambridge Cameo KJV Bible in Brown Vachetta Calfskin Leather is a Triumph of Form and Function!

December 24, 2014January 8, 2015 Bob Snyder5 Comments

I received this Bible from Cambridge gratis for review purposes. It arrived sufficiently packaged in a cardboard box with one other Bible.

They did not deform or break through their packaging and the Bibles were in perfect shape when they were delivered.

Upon opening the box I was presented with the clamshell retail box, which should be retained for storage purposes. The Bible inside the box was instantly striking in appearance. I am accustomed to many different qualities of cover material. When I picked the Cameo up out of the box I was struck by the soft texture of this type of calfskin leather. The grain was smoother with smaller pebbling compared to goatskin leather.

I was expecting a darker brown with a texture like other top grain cowhide Bibles. I was pleasantly surprised. This calfskin was smoother and soft. The front of the Cameo is hot stamped with, “Holy Bible” in gold. There is a channel pressed into the leather around the perimeter of the cover.

On the spine of the Cameo is, “Holy Bible” at the top, “King James Version” in the middle, and the Cambridge Logo at the bottom. They are all hot stamped in gold.

The page edges are beautifully art gilded with red under gold.

The construction of the Cameo is top-notch. In addition to having a wonderful cover that will last a lifetime, it has a sewn binding that will last as long as the cover. Because of these two fine qualities the Cameo is a pleasure to hold and read. The Bible opens well and lays flat easily without being overly flexible.

This edition does everything right. The only way this could be any better is if it were in NASB.

The inside cover is lined with vinyl that is glued down. The corners are finished nicely.

There are two ribbon markers that match the color of the cover as well.

Some less expensive Chinese or Korean Bibles try to entice you with a very supple calfskin cover lined with calfskin or another very flexible material. Then, they drop the ball with either the paper or the fit and finish. That is not so with the Cameo from Cambridge. The paper is nice and opaque. The font is a cleaned up 8 point, Petit Medieval Clarendon type. It is bold and easy to read. The text is arranged in a double column verse format with center column references.

In the front of the Cameo you have publication information page followed by a nice presentation page.

After that is the text of the KJV. Lastly, there is a very useful concordance in the back along with 15 color maps that are indexed.

I know there is a big trend now for the single column paragraph formats. Personally, I find it more difficult to focus on during reading in my home. I have a busy house and am always getting interrupted. As a consequence I routinely lose my place and have to look for where I left off so that I can resume reading. The paragraph format has all of the tiny verse numbers dispersed through the text and finding them or remembering where you left off can be a bit more tedious. I find it easier to pick up where I left off if I can find the verse quickly. This is my personal preference.

The Cameo is a delightful size Bible to hold and read anywhere. I can sit in my recliner and read it, I can read it in bed, I can read it on my work break, and I can read it while I drive… I was just checking to see if you were still awake. Never read and drive! Seriously, seldom will you find a combination of form and function like the Cameo.

Here the Cameo is compared to the Concord.