House Church Talk - Re: Annotated Bible Recommendation

[Ross J Purdy]

> What annotated bible recommendation would you give.  Someone asked me to
> recommend one.  This person is beginning to grow in the faith.    Years
ago
> I used Dake, but I wouldn't particularly recommend that.  Are there
> annotated bibles that aren't King James?
>
> Thanks much!
>
> janet

Hi Janet,

There are a number of bibles with more technical notes and others are more
devotional in nature. I have never been interested in the devotional notes
kind, so I'll give you my opinion on more technical flavored ones. Nelson
has a NKJV study bible but I was kind of disappointed in the notes. The
Ryrie is so-so. There are two NRSV annotated bibles, one by Oxford and
another by a Coogan both of which I am unfamiliar with but the Coogan was
recomended by someone. The Thompson Chain Reference I found very useful once
you figure out the system. Have never really appreciated the original or New
Scofield Bibles even though I am dispensational. Being dispensational I
value the Companion Bible edited by Bullinger. The NIV study bible was a
surprise to me since I liked it very much despite it being calvinistic and
based on a poor poor Greek text. The King James Study Bible (used to be the
Liberty Study Bible) is ok. Defender's Study Bible (KJV) is ok. There is now
something based on a poor Greek text but with the most extensive note set
ever put together called the New English Translation or NET Bible. It is
from the Biblical Studies Foundation and probably boasts the best in
scholarship. They have print versions, electronic versions and you can even
get a free HTML version from their web sight to see if you like it. Again it
is based on a bad Greek text. For print Bibles, the KJV is outdated and the
NKJV is better. The NKJV is based on a superior Greek text while the rest of
the popular bibles are based on a made-up concocted text invented in the
late 1800's. Then there are 1000's of variants which the translators pick
and choose from to further concoct a non-historical basis for their
translation. These Bibles have texts that none of the saints of older times
would fully recognize. One they would be fully familiar with is the World
English Bible which is only a electronic version but freely available all
over the world wide web!

One can go to www.christianbook.com and research the many available print
versions or one can go to www.e-sword.net and get stunningly simple software
for absolutely free with many versions (copyrighted but free, as well as
public domain) and an incredible choice of helps in the way of notes,
dictionaries, concordances, commentaries, etc., etc., etc., and so on....
They are all free!!!! It can even access modules from other programs that
are STEP compatible. It offers tons more than many programs costing up to
$60-$70 with only a couple of copyrighted works to justify the enormous
price! It is the ultimate study bible. Buy a cheap laptop and download
everything you want or care to try and no study bible could touch it. I have
a huge print library and almost a dozen scholarly bible programs with the
latest reference works which I use for intense studies. My electronic
library almost matches my print library in reference works and it includes a
nice selection beyond the reference works too.

But if push came to shove, I could get along with e-Sword alone quite
nicely. If I want to look something up quick in the Bible or an
encyclopedia, or get a few comments from scholars, check the Greek and
Hebrew in all the available text types, I go to e-Sword first.

In Christ,
Ross Purdy

I receive no mammon-like benefits or gratuities from e-Sword, but I do
receive many spiritual ones from it!