hard back – Snyder's Soapbox

I found this Bible to be significantly thinned out compared to the regular Apologetics Study Bible. This is targeted at teens and younger students. You can read my review of the Apologetics Study Bible here. Keep in mind that this Bible is not the same as the Apologetics Study Bible, and it is intended for students. It would make a great Bible for young people with questions that you perhaps are not equipped to answer.

Christian apologetics is the defense of the veracity of Christianity and its doctrines, by utilizing logic, reason, philosophy, and evidence. So when you think of a Bible including the word, “apologetics” in its title you would assume that it is going to be focused on apologetic arguments. This Bible does not do as comprehensive a job as the standard one, but for the intended audience, it is just what is needed, without getting bogged down. There are several articles, and testimonies.

One feature that is useful is the, “twisted scriptures” asides. There are 60 of them throughout the Bible. They take commonly misapplied scriptures, put them in the proper context, and explain the errors made with their application as well as the proper application. This should be very helpful for kids who have been exposed to cults by their friends. Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and all of the other repugnant cults, spread such lies about the Bible, that it is common to hear them repeated, even by kids raised in a Christian home.

Another nice feature is the, “bones & dirt” asides. There are 50 of them placed all over the Bible. They add archeological evidence as an apologetic aid. Students can see physical evidence, coincide with the testimony of scripture. This support can tip the scales towards belief and acceptance, when doubts are raised by their peers. It also adds to their individual education.

My review copy arrived damaged. It was packaged sufficiently. The damage looked like a problem from the factory. The end papers in the front as well as the presentation page, and the first pages of this Bible were deeply creased down the center. This is probably a fluke, but if you did get a damaged Bible, Holman will be quick to replace it.

Generally speaking, you should return it to the retailer. The hardcover is pretty standard fare.

The spine is sewn for durability, and flexibility. This ensures that it lays flat when opened. Overcasting was also employed, ensuring durability.

There is one very thin, and unintentional looking ribbon marker. It just seems out of place. Given their exceptional use of overcasting contrasted with this anemic ribbon, I’m at a loss. I’m kind of a stickler for ribbon markers. All Bibles should come with 3 ribbon markers that are wide enough to not bite into the page edges when opening the Bible with them. They should be thick enough to be durable. They should be thin enough to not leave grooves in the pages from when the Bible is closed on them. Finally they should not be folded haphazardly into the Bible from the factory.

The paper is opaque enough and the font is 8 pt. in size. I doubt young people will have trouble reading this black letter edition. I do however, have some difficulty with the choice of font on the feature headings. It looks very much like stylized scribbling. The font is arranged in a double column format with notes and references at the bottom. The book introductions and articles are well done. They should be helpful to the young reader.

I do not like the index tabs. In my opinion they are not as easy to use as the crescent cut ones. Your opinion may differ. All in all it is a descent Bible for young people. It is not sufficient to serve as a study Bible for a mature Christian.

Here is a list of features it has.

Two-color design-intensive layout on every page for the visual generation
Study notes providing evidence of the reliability and truthfulness of Scripture
120 articles by leading Christian thinkers dealing with life’s ultimate questions
50 “Notable Quotes” from influential people throughout history
25 “Tactics” against common anti-Christian arguments
Twenty “Personal Stories” of how God has worked in real lives
20 “Top Five” lists to help remember key apologetics topics
Bullet notes explaining Bible terms
Book introductions for each book of the Bible

Presentation page
Ribbon marker
Thumb-indexed page edges
8-point text size
9.25″ x 7.00″ x 1.25″

9.0 X 6.75 X 1.5 (inches)

ISBN-13: 9781433616976

Please don’t forget to look at the pictures I took of this Bible here on my flickr page.

On the front of the dust jacket of this Bible, the testimonial from Tim Keller is featured, “There are many Study Bibles, but none better.” This is very misleading. I have no idea why this quote is featured. I would hope that there is some good reason why Zondervan did this. Unfortunately, I can think of one and none has been provided. This is most definitely not a Study Bible. It is simply a Reference Bible with Book introductions, Concordance, and Maps. In no twist of the imagination could this be considered a Study Bible. If you are looking for a Study Bible, this is NOT one.

My guess, in my opinion, is that Zondervan knows the NIV has taken a serious hit, and as a result has a black eye. It no longer has the credibility it once enjoyed. It is not as popular as it once was. Back in 2011 Zondervan released this gender inclusive mess of a dynamic equivalent in an attempt to sneak it by everyone. They had the TNIV, and simply dropped the, “T” and changed a few more things to further comply with the translation agenda. The Southern Baptist Convention caught on to what was happening and officially disavowed the translation. Here is their resolution,

“WHEREAS, Many Southern Baptist pastors and laypeople have trusted and used the 1984 New International Version (NIV) translation to the great benefit of the Kingdom; and

WHEREAS, Biblica and Zondervan Publishing House are publishing an updated version of the New International Version (NIV) which incorporates gender neutral methods of translation; and

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists repeatedly have affirmed our commitment to the full inspiration and authority of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:15-16) and, in 1997, urged every Bible publisher and translation group to resist “gender-neutral” translation of Scripture; and

WHEREAS, This translation alters the meaning of hundreds of verses, most significantly by erasing gender-specific details which appear in the original language; and

WHEREAS, Although it is possible for Bible scholars to disagree about translation methods or which English words best translate the original languages, the 2011 NIV has gone beyond acceptable translation standards; and

WHEREAS, Seventy-five percent of the inaccurate gender language found in the TNIV is retained in the 2011 NIV; and

WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention has passed a similar resolution concerning the TNIV in 2002; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, June 14-15, 2011 express profound disappointment with Biblica and Zondervan Publishing House for this inaccurate translation of God’s inspired Scripture; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage pastors to make their congregations aware of the translation errors found in the 2011 NIV; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we respectfully request that LifeWay not make this inaccurate translation available for sale in their bookstores; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we cannot commend the 2011 NIV to Southern Baptists or the larger Christian community.”

Shortly after the Lutheran Missouri Synod did the same. Here is the most important part of their statement as I see it,

“We find the NIV’s Committee on Bible Translation decision to substitute plural nouns and pronouns for masculine singular nouns and pronouns to be a serious theological weakness and a misguided attempt to make the truth of God’s Word more easily understood. The use of inclusive language in NIV 2011 creates the potential for minimizing the particularity of biblical revelation and, more seriously, at times undermines the saving revelation of Christ as the promised Savior of humankind. Pastors and congregations of the LCMS should be aware of this serious weakness. In our judgment this makes it inappropriate for NIV 2011 to be used as a lectionary Bible or as a Bible to be generally recommended to the laity of our church. This is not a judgment on the entirety of NIV 2011 as a translation—a task that would require a much more extensive study of NIV 2011—but an opinion as to a specific editorial decision which has serious theological implications” You can read the entire statement here.

Here is a link to an excellent paper in the Westminster Theological Journal. The article was written by Dr. Vern Poythress of Westminster Theological Seminary. Dr. Poythress was also part of the Translation Oversight Committee for the English Standard Version. By prominently featuring Timothy Keller’s testimonial on the front of this Bible edition Zondervan is trying to do some damage control. As most of you know Tim Keller also was faculty at Westminster Theological Seminary. He and Poythress share much in the field of theology. By getting his stamp of approval on this Bible I believe they were hoping to bring some of us back. Admittedly, the only reason I requested this Bible for review, over the other ones offered is that his name was on the front. I was curious if something had changed for the better. I was disappointed. Not only was this the same NIV, with all of the gender inclusive language, but it was NOT a Study Bible.

As far as the physical attributes of this Bible go, it is a pretty average to above average publication. It is blue hard back. It has a dust jacket. It is printed in China. It has two mediocre silver ribbon book markers. It is a sewn, case bound book binding. It is printed on good quality paper that is pretty opaque. The type is clear and uniform. It is 9 point font. There is limited ghosting. It is a double column, paragraph format, with references, concordance, and 14 color maps. It is nothing special, nothing distinctive, just a good quality hardback. If only they would revert back to the 1984 NIV and leave these other agendas behind.