Theology

Silly liberals, Theology is for Reasonable People. Egalitarians are at it again…

How many of you have heard this left-wing liberal theological stance that Adam was not a man, but a he/she with the genetic info for both sexes within itself? Yeah, I know right?  They call it, “The Adam” and then their story goes something like this; God made it from the dirt, thus its name, because the Hebrew word for dirt is, “’adamah” so that is why that he/she creature was called, “Adam.”  Then God put it to sleep and didn’t literally make females from its rib but more figuratively created the separate genders at that point.  If you are laughing like I was when I first heard this nonsense, stop!  This is the garbage they are teaching in seminaries.  I may not have represented their position the way they would like, but this is how I understand what they are saying.

So how about all the verses talking about gender roles, authority, submission, shadows and types that depend on these concepts, and the authority of scripture? Well, no problem for the liberal theologians, they just call what they don’t like allegory and when they can’t, they say that the Bible isn’t really fully the word of God, and it can’t be fully relied on.  Well, not to sound like, “The Church Lady” but who does that remind you of?  Hmm?  Someone with a serpent sounding hissing voice in the garden maybe?  Well, I wonder who that could be?  I wonder who casts doubt on God’s word?  Who could it be?  Does it remind you of…  SATAN!!!?

Surely God made Adam, the first human as a male from the start. Surely Eve was made from and for Adam as the word of God says.  In 1 Corinthians 11:1-15 we can even read what God said about it as Paul restates the creation of man and woman in the New Covenant for a group of believers who were falling into egalitarianism just like we are today.  They needed a correction from God then as we do now.

Here is a section of an article arguing for the erring position posted on http://newlife.id.au/ the link to the original article is, http://newlife.id.au/equality-and-gender-issues/human-man-woman-genesis-2/

“In Genesis 2 we have the creation account of the very first human being.  In English translations of Genesis 2 this first human is simply called “man”.  This “man” is understood by most people as referring to a male human rather than to a generic human.  However, in the Hebrew text, the first “man” is not specifically referred to as a male human (ish) until after the “operation” mentioned in Genesis 2:21-22.

After the “operation”, the now male human sees the female human and says, “This one is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh!  She will be called ‘woman’ (ishshah) because she was taken out of ‘man’ (ish).”  The first woman (ishshah) and the first man (ish) had both been a part of, or one side of, the first human being (ha’adam).[1]  In Genesis 2:23 the man indicates that they shared the same flesh and bone.

The Hebrew word adam means “human being” – and not necessarily a male human being.  In the early chapters of Genesis it is often used with the definite article = ha’adam (הָאָדָם)  meaning “the human being” (cf Gen. 5:2).  Occasionally it serves as a proper name “Adam”, usually written without the article.[2]

In the screenshots below, I have highlighted every incidence of ha’adam (the human being) in yellow.  (N.B. In verse 5 there is no article but the context indicates that adam is not a proper noun.)[3]

I have also highlighted every incidence of ish (man) with blue, and ishshah (woman) with pink.  By looking at the screenshots below it is evident that it is not until the woman is taken out of the first human that we clearly see an ish, a male person, and not before.

Have a look.  Is it clear?”

Just because what is implied by the author could be so, doesn’t mean that it is. This is an error in logic that she has made without considering the rest of scripture.  Let’s take a look at the problem.  She assumes that the first of mankind was a creature containing both sexes or neither and that God did an, “operation” on this creature to turn the source creature into a masculine one as it was not before and then to make a feminine one from that source creature.  The scripture doesn’t support this furthermore, it definitely repudiates it in 1 Corinthians 11:1-16.  Don’t take my word for it look for yourself.

1Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.  2Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. 3But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. 4Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. 5But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. 6For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. 7For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; 9for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. 10Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. 13Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, 15but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.

In v. 7 God explains that man is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. We can see the plain meaning of scripture here.  Then the Greek word, “ἀνὴρ aner” is used in v. 8  it is specifically, “man.”  Read how woman came from man according to God through Paul.  So either God is confused or the egalitarians are willfully in rebellion against the God of scripture and their God given roles, or God is confused and doesn’t remember what He said in Genesis, or Paul was just a sexist member of the patriarchy trying to keep women down…  Really people?…  I mean, seriously?  Just repent, accept what God says in His word and conform to His word and will.  Then v.9 hammers it home, “9for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.”  It is that simple.  To go a bit further so that the liberals don’t try to eisegete vv. 11-16 yes, men and women in Christ are all dependent on Him, and men are born of mothers, but the point in context is not the condition of procreation stated here, but rather God’s creation and it’s total dependency on Him.  If you still want to be a whiny baby I refer you to v. 16. Basically this is how it is and if you don’t like it tough.  Paul is putting it simply, “You are wrong.”  Have a good day.

p.s. if my tone seems a bit abrasive, that’s because I am irritated by all of the nonsense we have to entertain and argue against.  It seems ludicrous to me that people would keep rehashing all of the old heresies with new labels and faces.  It agitates me that people have to make apologetic answers instead of just saying, “You’re and idiot.  Sit down and be quite Sir/Ma’am.”  Ignorant people listen to these misguided guides and follow them into folly, so we have no choice, but to speak up.

Apologetics · Theology

The gospel of Jesus

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The gospel of Jesus. We are a sinners who deserve death and hell. He is God incarnate. He is righteous and holy. He deserves all of the majesty of Heaven and our praise. In His longsuffering He endures our hatred of Him and His law. He condescends to save us from the condemnation of hell. He is raised upon a cross, thereupon crucified. He takes our punishment upon Himself, thus satisfying the justice of God. The wrath of God is assuaged by His atoning work. We hear about what He has done for us and either believe it or not. If not, then the flames of hell are waiting for us, and rightly so, for we are fully culpable for our transgressions. If we believe, then repentance is our faith revealed and testimony to the dying world. We hate our sins and turn to Christ our redeemer, who purchased us with His sacrifice upon the cross. He becomes our Lord and Master. Sin no longer rules us. Our minds are being renewed by the reading of His word. Our hearts are transformed into new living hearts with God honoring desires. He sanctifies us as we grow in faith and knowledge of Him. We are born again. Not to live as slaves to sin and death, but to live as bondservants of Christ and holiness. Love Jesus with all of your heart, for He is the Savior!

Apologetics · Book Reviews · Church · Theology

Neat Little Book, A Review of, “I Am A Church Member” by Thom S. Rainer

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The Pastor at the SBC Church I attend gave these booklets out to everyone last Sunday after Service as an early Christmas present. It didn’t take long to read. I am a slow reader, so for me that is saying something. It was pretty concise and brief. Packed in a small booklet between two hard covers is a primer, if you will, on being in The Church and being in A Church simultaneously, instead of one or the other. The ideas inside this book truly express the gospel, and what it means to be part of the body. I encourage all new Christians and those of us who have matured to read this booklet. For the younger folks it will help them understand what this is all about and for us a bit further along it will help us remember what we are to be about. We aren’t in a social club, even though we socialize with one another. We aren’t there for the benefits, even though we do benefit from corporate worship and ministry to the body. We are there for the love of God and the worship of Him who made us. In the abounding overflow of His love expressed to us by Christ crucified we should lavish that same love on the body as we minister to each other and share the glorious gospel of Jesus with those who have never heard. As a healthy body, made of healthy members, we can magnify Christ and glorify God, through the proclamation of His gospel, His word, and our love for one another. This book is a great reminder and primer.

Some complain that this is legalistic or that the scripture verses are out of context. Some also complain about the contracts at the end of every chapter. I answer that by saying you need to look at the intent of the book. You don’t have to sign the contracts and turn them in.  They aren’t binding.  I think they are kind of silly myself.  As an entire mission, I agree that the local Church needs to shape up, but it can’t be done by people obligatorily signing up for things. The idea within this booklet is for you to have a changed heart and then you’ll want to do the things within the booklet. The problem with the Church is that it is full of unchanged people. You can’t expect them to, “get on board” when they aren’t even on the team. So to the critics, I ask, “Are you sure you are saved?” If you are then you won’t hate the Church.

Available for purchase here

amazon

Christianbook 

and from Holman the publisher

ISBN: 9781433679735

Trim Size: 0.24 x 5.00 x 7.00

Page Count: 96

Weight: 0.50

Binding: Paper Over Board

Status: IP

Publication Date: May 2013

I Am a Church Member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes the DifferenceI Am a Church Member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes the Difference by Thom S. Rainer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

View all my reviews

Uncategorized

Update on the Cambridge Concord and Transetto Shipping Damage.

I was contacted by an employee of Cambridge Press. (I didn’t get permission to use their name or quote them so I’ll use general references.)  They told me they would be looking into how the two Bibles came to be packed improperly and incurred damage during shipping due to the improper packaging.  I promptly received an e-mail back from my contact at Cambridge Press.  They concluded during their investigation that it was indeed a training issue and have resolved the problem.  I commend them on their efforts to maintain high standards.  You can read about the damage here.

Apologetics · Theology · Uncategorized

A Quote From Randy Alcorn’s Book, “If God is Good”

Page 122, 2nd from last paragraph, “…Jeffrey Dahmer, the notorious sexual predator and cannibal, stated in an interview, “If it all happens naturalistically, what’s the need for a God?  Can’t I set my own rules?  Who owns me?  I own myself.”…”

This is where evolution and atheism take you, to the edge of insanity and over.

Bible Reviews

Puritans, Pilgrims, and Reformers, a Review of the 1599 Geneva Bible from Tolle Lege Press.

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Tolle Lege Press is responsible for the rejuvenating the 1599 Geneva Bible. Unfortunately not many people know about this or seem to care. (Except for Kirk Cameron)  I say it is unfortunate because I truly believe the historical importance of this translation has been overlooked for a blind allegiance to the KJV.  Many people don’t know anything about the Geneva translation.  They are happy with their King James versions.  I’ve always wondered why the KJV onlyists are so loyal to a version that was translated by order of the King to conform to the ecclesiology of the Church of England.  The royals and Church leaders were afraid of losing their grip on power.  The Bibles of that time period all relied on the Latin Vulgate to some degree as a resource for translation.  The Geneva and the KJV were no exceptions.  The KJV relied on the Geneva for reference during its translation.  The KJV onlyists are always spewing their venomous polemics towards all other versions being Papal translations from Rome.  It is disturbing that they can suspend rational thought in regards to the KJV, but seem rational most other times.

The Geneva was translated by the Reformers. They had to flee to Geneva so that they wouldn’t be martyred by the Roman Catholic Church and Bloody Mary.   John Calvin and John Knox are most often credited for the Geneva translation.  There were other individuals working with them in Geneva to make this translation.  The notes and references of this Bible are retained and printed in modern font.  They are printed on the bottom of the page like a modern study Bible.  These notes are what made this translation such an enemy to the Crowns of the King and the Pope.  You have to understand that the Roman Catholic Church was in the business of hunting down and killing the reformers.  Then Puritans were persecuted for believing what the reformation brought to fruition.  This is what led to them becoming pilgrims.  They fled to America hoping to live God honoring lives obedient to His word.  The Bible they took with them was the Geneva Bible.

For more on the Geneva’s history visit this site; http://genevabible.com/

Here is a short youtube video about it as well; http://youtu.be/Nq1YhU8cGko

Don’t mind the trolls. They keep complaining about some pagan imagery on the cover, but I don’t see any.  I’ve asked them specifically and really haven’t gotten any answers other than, “You’re going to Hell for using anything but the KJV heretic!!!”  and now for something completely different, how about the review of the 1599 Geneva Bible?

The 1599 arrived in a cardboard box.

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Inside was the Bible in its retail 2 piece box.  The cd-rom contains searchable, printable PDFs of the Geneva Bible, plus the Apocryphal Books and Metrical Psalms, was also in the retail box.

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The packaging was sufficient to ensure the Bible was delivered without being damaged.  Tolle Lege did a wonderful job of giving the 1599 a modern typography.  They placed all of the references and notes at the bottom like a modern day study Bible.

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The Bible is printed on some pretty opaque paper.  It is off white and a bit more rigid than most Bible papers I’ve seen.  I don’t know what kind of paper it is for sure, but it seems suitable.  The text is printed in a double column verse format with an 8 point font.  The notes are printed at the bottom of the page like a modern study Bible.  Chapter numbers are larger and in bold print.  The pages are bound in a sewn binding done here in America.

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The sewn binding makes up for the bonded leather cover.  I can’t begin to tell you how much I detest bonded leather.  I would much rather see a hardcover or trutone fake leather cover.  Of course if this Bible came in a top grain cowhide or goatskin cover with sewn edge lining of leather it would be great.  The cover is lined on the inside with white paper that is glued down.

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The front outer cover is decorated with, “1599 Geneva Bible” at the top and some kind of flower on the bottom.

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I imagine that these are the pagan symbols the kooks are upset about.  Who knows?  The spine is also gilded with the same as is on the cover except on the bottom of the spine is the Tolle Lege logo.

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The sewn binding makes this Bible open better than it would without it.  It doesn’t open as nicely as it could with a better cover.

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The binding doesn’t completely stop the pages from folding closed on you while you are reading.  This is only just out of the box, brand new.  As I used it this problem went away.  It also will make this Bible hold up much better.

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There is one black ribbon marker.  The page edges are gilded.

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There is a Middle English Glossary in the back and several prayers including morning and evening.  There is a purely subjective quality about this Bible that makes me want to sit and read it.  The combination of the size, weight, paper, and layout, make sense to me and I find it easy to read.  Now just because that is the experience I have with it doesn’t mean I expect everyone to agree with me so don’t go launching fiery darts at me.  This Bible should be a part of every Christian’s library.  If you don’t have one, go get one.

Don’t get this Bible confused with the 1560 facsimile Geneva Bible.  This one is actually useful for daily reading.  The 1560 is a little tedious.

Bible Reviews

The Perfect Size Bible to Sit and Read, The Cambridge KJV Concord Reference Bible in Black Edge-Lined Goatskin Leather, Red Letter Edition.

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Before I get into the vital features of this Bible I want to expound on its subjective qualities that have endeared it to me. At first glance most people won’t notice the exceptional quality of this Bible until they pick it up and give it a closer look.  Some folks won’t even notice even after picking it up.  That is not to say the Cambridge Concord Reference Bible is average or plain.  It is because the Concord is how a Bible is supposed to be.  It is the quintessential archetype of reference Bibles.  It smells like a Bible, it looks like a Bible, and it feels like a Bible.  When I pick it up to read from, I don’t have to struggle with it.  It does exactly what it should do.  It stays out of the way and allows me to focus on reading God’s word.  Everything about it is conducive to that end.

For me, it is the perfect size and weight to hold in one hand. I can comfortably read it while sitting in my favorite chair.  It isn’t heavy or unwieldy enough to require being laid on a table or desk.  It isn’t so small as to necessitate being held close.  It is not a thick Bible, yet contains many references and some helps.

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It is not printed on such light paper that the pages curl up and blow around while you are trying to read.  The pages are not a bright white.  They are off white.  Bright white pages tend to make my eyes strain during long durations of reading the word.  The India paper is strong and opaque.

There is approximately 7/16ths of an inch in the margins for note taking.

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The text is a nine point font that is printed appears pretty bold.

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The Concord is a double column verse format with pronunciations.  It has the references in the center column.

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Even with the references, 128 page Bible Dictionary, Concordance, Glossary, and 15 color maps, the Concord maintains a thin profile without sacrificing paper quality.  The pages are art gilded.  An art gilded page edge compared to a gilded page edge looks a bit more attractive.  It gives the page edges a red tint behind the gold color.  Before they put the gold colored aluminum foil on the page edges they first coat them with a red ink.  Then they apply the gold color gilding.  When the Bible is closed the edges show gold, when the Bible is open you can see the red show through the gold.

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The binding, outside cover, and inside liner, make it supple and comfortable to hold.  This one is edge lined not case bound.  It is rigid enough to not flop around like some unlined Bibles do, while it maintains flexibility with its synthetic liner that is stitched to the outside cover edges with black thread.

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The Binding is a smyth-sewn binding done by Jongbloed in the Netherlands.  They are famous for their quality work and history of Binding Bibles.  Currently, most luxury Bibles are bound by Jongbloed.  A sewn binding is a must in my opinion.  If you hope to hand a Bible down to your children and for them to use it a sewn binding is the only option.  With a sewn edge lined binding all of the pages are stacked in separate pamphlets called signatures.  These are then stacked and sewn to tapes or strings in the spine of the Bible as well as being sewn to each other.  This is why you don’t have the front and back pages falling out of a sewn binding like you would with a glued case bound perfect binding where the pages are cut, then stacked, then rubber cemented together.  Those pages are not connected to each other in any way.  If you bend the spine in a glued Bible, eventually pages will start falling out.  Not so with a sewn binding.  If you take care of it and treat it with respect it will last and last.  The other benefit of this binding is the functionality of it.  The Concord lays flat right out of the box.

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The cover doesn’t flop up and get in the way.  The covers can be rolled backwards and out of the way even.  I wouldn’t do this as a practice, but that is how flexible this Bible is.  This particular Bible is a red letter edition.

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That simply means that the words of Jesus are printed in red text, including places where He is quoted by the apostles.  Some people find this to be a very helpful feature.  The Concord has two black ribbon markers.  They are good quality without being too thick.

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I have had some Bibles with thicker markers that actually imprint on the pages they are between.  I have had other Bibles with markers that were so thin that they crinkled up and are almost useless.  It is very unattractive to open the Bible up to crinkled pages or markers.  The Concord has neither problem.  The Bible ships in a clamshell type retail box.  I would keep the Box for storage.  This Bible is to supple to stand on its edge.  It should be laid flat on a flat surface when not in use.  There was a slight problem with the shipping.  You can read about that here.

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Cambridge has assured me they are looking into this and it shouldn’t happen again.  This Bible is as pretty close to being perfect.  If Cambridge would produce this in an NASB I would be satisfied.

Here are a few good places on the web to purchase this Bible if you are in the market.

evangelicalbible.com

Amazon.com

Christianbook.com

Cambridge.org

Here are a few pictures of the Concord compared to the TBS Westminster

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Over all, I found the Concord to be a superlative Bible. It stands out from the mass produced Chinese and Korean Bibles as an example of what they should be aiming for.

KJV Concord Reference Bible, Black Edge-Lined Goatskin Leather, Red Letter Text KJ566:XRE

Black Goatskin Leather RCD266

isbn: 9780521512978

Bible Reviews

A Pleasant Surprise from Holman, Review of the Holman KJV Minister’s Bible in Black Genuine Cowhide.

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Holman sent this Bible packaged in a cardboard box with some paper padding it.

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The retail box was inside.

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I had no idea which Bible they had sent me.  I didn’t remember requesting one for review.  I was pleasantly surprised by the arrival of the KJV Minister’s Bible.  When I had originally requested it they were out of stock.  It seems that Holman remembered and sent it when it became available.

When I opened the shipping box I found the retail packaging inside. Keep the two piece gift-box to store your Bible.  This Bible is so supple that it will need to be laid flat for storage.  When I opened the retail box I could see that the Bible was wrapped in a dark colored construction paper to keep it safe from being deformed.

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I like this better than being, “shrink wrapped” with plastic wrap.  Plastic wrap has the tendency to pull the corners down and deform the cover and text block.  If the Bible arrives damaged or during use develops premature wear rest assured, Holman has a lifetime warranty on this product.

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I was impressed by the feel of the genuine cowhide leather cover. It was soft and supple.

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The Bible is edge lined not case bound.

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The edges of the outer cover are rolled over and sewn down.  The spine of the Bible has decorative spine hubs.  They used to be where the signature tapes or ribbons were sewn to the signatures.  The cover would have to be fitted over them which produced the raised hubs.  Now it isn’t an indicator of a sewn binding or not.  You’ll be glad to know this one does have a very flexible sewn binding.  It allows this Bible to do some pretty amazing things and come out unscathed.  It lays flat right out of the box and can even curl back under the spine with both covers at the same time.

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I wouldn’t make a practice of that, but it can do it.  When held open with one hand it drapes over your hand.

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The spine of the Bible is imprinted with, “KJV” at the top, “Holy Bible” in the Middle, and Holman’s logo at the bottom.

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The pages are edge gild with gold colored foil.

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There are two very nice quality ribbon markers in this Bible, one is red and the other is black.

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The pages are opaque, but could be a little more so.  They have a generous inch wide margin for adding your own notes.

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Wide margins are quite helpful for Pastors.  The opacity of the paper is important so that text doesn’t show through the page.

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While preaching and looking down at this Bible you should be able to focus on the text and not what is behind it.  The font is equally conducive to preaching.  It is a neat and clean 12 point font that is consistently inked throughout the Bible in this black text edition.  The text is arranged in a double column verse format making it easy to quickly locate verses.  Book names, chapter, and verse are printed on the top of the page along with headings.

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There are many aids for Pastors included in this Bible.  Here is a list of some of them; Sixty-six page KJV concordance, eight maps, Where to Turn When, Plan of Salvation, color presentation page, Various wedding and funeral outlines by Jim Henry, “Why Read the King James Version?” by Calvin Miller, “8 Traits of Effective Church Leaders” by Thom S. Rainer, “21 Essentials of Authentic Ministry” by James T. Draper, “Four Kinds of Expositional Preaching” by Ed Stetzer, “30 Keys to Giving an Invitation” by O. S. Hawkins, “Leading a Child to Christ” by Bill Emeott, “Reaching Students with the Gospel” by Lynn H. Pryor, “The Importance of Baptism and Communion” by Rick White, Commitment Counseling, The Christian Year and Church Calendar, The Apostles and Their History, and Table of Weights and Measures.  With all that this Bible offers it would be a wonderful blessing for your Pastor as a gift, even if the Pastor is your Dad.  Pastors shouldn’t feel bad about buying such a nice Bible.  It is money well spent on a product that should last for a long time.

You can purchase it on Christianbook.com, Amazon.com, or direct from Holman.

ISBN-10: 1586409301

ISBN-13: 978-1586409302

Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.1 x 8 inches

Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds

Bible Reviews

Intriguing, a Bible that opens from top to bottom you say? Review of the Cambridge KJV Transetto Text Edition Bible

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I saw this Bible on the publisher’s web site and was intrigued by it. It was a very novel idea at least and a practical one at best.  Unlike traditionally bound compact or pocket editions this Bible does not open and read like the same.  With a traditionally bound book you would open the front cover from the right to the left and read from the top left to the right and proceed down the page until you move on to the next page to the right and then you would turn the page and continue.

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In the picture above I have it laid open on top of a Cambridge Pitt Minion NASB.

In the Transetto you lift the front cover up and you are presented with the two pages becoming one book width page laid out as a double column text format to be read as one page, from to left to right all the way to the bottom of the other open page. Then you would flip up the next page and continue in the same way.

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The way you read it is not the only unconventional thing about this Bible. The cover is made of a reinforced card paper.  It is not connected to the text block all the way around like a regular book.  It is only glued to the text block on one side while the rest floats freely around the Bible when closed.  When opened and laid flat you can see the individual signatures and how they are sewn together in the spine.  When opened towards the middle of the Bible you can see how the sewn binding allows the Bible’s spine to bend all the way around and back into itself.  This is critical for the success of this kind of binding.

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The only cons of this particular book that I noticed were the corners of the Bible were bent due to the lack of care involved in the shipping process, the flimsy quality of the cover material itself, turning pages up instead of right to left, and the lack of chapter and verse numbers next to the book names on the corners of the pages.

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For some reason someone in shipping at Cambridge thought it would be a good idea to package this Transetto KJV with a $250.00 KJV Concord Reference Bible in goatskin leather? The packaging would have been sufficient for just the Concord Bible by itself, but when you cram the Transetto in there on top of it all it is a different story.  The package arrived mostly open due to shipping.  The USPS put a rubber band around it to keep it together.  When I opened the package the box for the Concord Bible was caved in and creased.  Most people like to keep their Bible boxes in nice shape to store their Bibles in.  The Transetto had one corner smashed up about three quarters of an inch.  This wrinkled the pages.  If I had purchased these Bibles instead of getting them gratis for review purposes, I would have had to send the Transetto back for replacement.  This would have cost Cambridge the shipping it should have paid in the beginning as well as a Bible.  Proper shipping saves money and is better customer service and appreciation in the long run.

The cover could be made a bit more sturdy or out of a more flexible fake leather material. They just need to do something a little different to protect the text block.  It is tough to do on an inexpensive, unique binding like the Transetto’s.  It is not a big con, but one nonetheless.

The unique binding makes turning pages counter intuitive. We are all used to doing it the common way so it takes some getting used to.  That being said, it really isn’t a big con either.  How many people have gotten used to hitting a button to turn a page with e-readers?  It’s not a big deal.

It wouldn’t have taken much for Cambridge to put the chapter and verse numbers on the pages along with the book names. It would have made turning to a specific spot much faster.  I can understand why they didn’t do that.  This is a small text Bible meant for reading daily, not as a reference Bible.  We can’t expect too much from something this small and portable.  The main reason for buying this, besides novelty is portability.

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With all of that in mind, there are more pros than cons or at least the pros are more significant than the cons in my opinion. If you are looking for as compact a Bible as you can find, that is still legible, then this is it.  The layout enables the Bible to use a 7 point font and fill most of the space on the India paper making it easier on the eyes than conventional compact Bibles.  Most conventional compacts use between a 6 point font and a 6.x size font.  You have to buy what they call a large print compact and they are usually thicker and/or bigger in width and height.  So if small, stowable, and legible are your primary concerns for a take anywhere compact then this is a very good option.

ISBN 9780521249294

Bible Reviews

You want it both ways? So does Thomas Nelson. My Review of the Thomas Nelson Full Color Hardcover 2nd Edition Study Bible.

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First I’m going to address the physical attributes of this Bible and its features with minimal critiques and then I will flesh out my opinions of the essays and notes included in this Bible. Keep in mind that part of the review is highly subjective depending on your theological position.

The Bible arrived sufficiently packaged in a cardboard box.

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It is a pretty big Bible as most study Bibles tend to be.  It measures approximately nine and half by six and three quarters by two inches and weighs a little less than four pounds.  It sells for about thirty three dollars on most internet retail sites.  The Bible has a dust jacket.

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I don’t like dust jackets.  They always get in the way.  Some people like to use them to mark their place, but I’d rather have some good quality ribbon markers.  This one only comes with a single brown ribbon marker.

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The hardcover itself is nice enough.  It has kind of a brown marbled look.  It is made in China, but seems to be well manufactured despite that fact.

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The binding is sewn.  The Bible opens and lays flat right out of the box.

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I expect if it is treated well it should last a long time.  It does have a lifetime warranty.

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It comes with a free download that I found quite useless.  It is not a download of the entire Bible.  Crossway gives you access to their study Bible online when you purchase theirs.   It is laid out really well and makes good use of the full color printing.  It is a double column paragraph format with references in the center column and notes at the bottom of the page.

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Each chapter has a book introduction and outline.  There are full color features like maps, word studies, essays, and photos dispersed throughout.

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The impression I got from reading some of the articles and notes is that this is a Bible for the masses. If you are Reformed, you’ll probably want about half of the notes removed.  If you are Arminian you’ll probably want about half of the notes removed.  If you don’t know what either of those are, you’ll probably love this study Bible.  That is just the impression that I got.  It could be that I am being overly sensitive.  Most people will find the notes well balanced between the two predominate theological positions.

An example of that is the language used in the explanation of women’s roles in the Church. It goes to extreme lengths to be sensitive to readers who might not agree with the biblical position and then briefly states the biblical position and then tries to scoot past in hopes of nobody noticing.  This technique usually pleases nobody and only confuses neophytes.  Of course if you wanted a study Bible that was more aligned with your position I imagine you could find one.  I like the MacArthur Study Bible, ESV Study Bible, and the Reformation Study Bible.  When you get a bunch of theologians from different tents within the camp of Christianity together to contribute to a study Bible, you end up with the modern study Bible.  It isn’t supposed to be a systematized theological work.

I actually would recommend the Holman NKJV Study Bible over the Thomas Nelson. You can read my review of it here.  I think the entirety of it is a little more honest and direct.  Think NonDenom vs SBC…  I think that sums it up.

 

 

 

ISBN: 0529114380

ISBN-13: 9780529114389

I received this Bible from the publisher gratis for the purpose of review and am under no obligation to render a positive review.