(Disclaimer: I have a personal relationship with one of the contributing editors. Also, Dr. Jeremiah is the Senior Pastor of my church)
Have you ever wondered what the Bible really says, what it means, and/or how it applies to your life? If so, you are in good company and this Bible is definitely for you…
The best way for me to describe the Jeremiah Study Bible is to say that it is an unexpected pleasure. Most study Bibles feel very academic, which is ok since their primary purpose is to guide you through your study of the Bible. The Jeremiah Study Bible, however, feels much more intimate, almost as though Dr. Jeremiah has come into your living room for a personal discipleship session.
Dr. Jeremiah’s own words about the Jeremiah Study Bible:
“I want people to understand what the Bible says, what it means, and what it means for them. These three things are central in my thinking when I prepare to preach, and they serve as the framework for the structure of The Jeremiah Study Bible.”
This is the Bible you want to give to someone who is new to in-depth Bible Study. Why?
This Bible is a 2,200 page one-of-a-kind study tool, featuring insightful and practical content:
Unique introductions
For every one of the 66 books of the Bible, there is a unique and captivating introduction that will open readers’ eyes to the experiences and the background of the Biblical writers through whom the Holy Spirit breathed. Smart-phone and tablet users can utilize a barcode scanner application and access a special video introduction as well as other online content designed to make the Bible come alive in new ways.
8,000 individual study notes
Accompanying the Scripture text in this Bible are more than 8,000 study notes. Relevant issues and key points made in the text have notes to expand upon the thought being developed. These notes are educational, to be sure, but they are not dry and boring as can be the case. I have found many of the notes to show something I have not seen before, despite over 20 years of study and frequently consult other resources as a result. In the interest of full disclosure, the notes are dispensational, pre-tribulational and baptist (Shadow Mountain is in cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention)
Sidebars
Word studies, historical insights & more are positioned within the text that offer additional insight beyond the notes. To make these segments even more useful for readers, we have created a sidebar index for the entire Bible. A quick glance will direct you to the biblical topic of your choice. (Many of these are marked off in a box labeled f.y.i)
Essentials of the Christian Faith (Approximately 50+ full-page articles)
Scattered throughout this Bible are more than 50 articles that cover foundational doctrines of the Christian Faith.
Teacher’s Topical Index
The best way to learn is to teach. The Jeremiah Study Bible includes a Topical Index for teachers covering approximately 50 topics in depth.
80 page concordance
I believe this might actually be larger than the standard concordance offered by Thomas Nelson for the NKJV. As with other concordances this is an invaluable tool for gathering references
Lifetime Guarantee from Worthy Publishing
If your Worthy Publishing Bible fails due to a manufacturing defect, you may replace it for free at anytime. If the same Bible is out of print, discontinued, or otherwise not available, we will replace it with a Bible of equal or greater value. However, this guarantee does not apply to normal wear and tear. Most hardcover Bibles do not offer a lifetime guarantee against defect so this is a very nice feature.
Paper and font
On the back of this Bible, it indicates a full size font, which appears to be 9 point. The paper is moderately opaque; there is only slight ghosting and I do not see much bleed through. The black is extremely clear and easy to read, I only wish I could say the same of the red. In direct light I had a bit of difficulty with the hue.
Overall Impression
I do have a small complaint, and I hope I do not offend anyone. I, personally, would have chosen HCSB for this study Bible, simply because it is an “easier to understand” translation.
That being said, from time to time, people ask me if I can recommend a good Bible study resource so they can begin in-depth study. The Jeremiah Study Bible has become my primary recommendation for new students. It is academic without being dull and boring, practical and easy to understand without being simplistic. Overall it is a great choice if you are new to Bible Study or if you simply want a different perspective. Having listened to Dr. Jeremiah for ten years before having the opportunity to worship at Shadow Mountain, I can assure you that every time you turn to this Bible, you will find a nugget that you hadn’t seen before. In fact if I could sum up this resource in one sentence it would be this;
The Bible: Read it again for the first time.
Oder from Amazon here
Dear Randy:
Thanks for a great review of what appears to be a wonderful study tool. I have formed my study habits and collected appropriate study aids to help me in learning the Bible years ago. There are lots of commentaries, but I find Matthew Henry’s more than sufficient for me. For someone who is relatively new to the Word, this bible and its commentary appears to be a good place to start. All use of notes, commentary, and individual translations should be done with the realization that there are different viewpoints active in making these helps. The Reverend Doctor Jeremiah’s work, his sermons, and radio broadcasts, lead me to believe that this will prove a good study tool for those readers who turn to it.
The words of Christ in red often produce problems for publishers and readers alike. 9 point type fonts certainly help, but in dim light even this size type and red letters make for eyestrain, some are better than others, but the combination of less than bright light, lessened color contrast, and mature eyes often lead to difficulty in reading. I have and use bibles with all black, and red letter for Christ’s words, I don’t have a real preference, only caring about the legibility. The best of the Red Letter bibles seem to come from Cambridge, I have yet to see one of their Red Letter Bibles printed so dimly that the words of Christ are difficult to see. Red Letters for me is a non issue except for the legibility factor.
Yours in Christ
Don Denison
Dear Matthew:
Once again I failed to notice that Randy did not do a review and that you have done so. I notice it now, apologize, and congratulate you on another good review. This should be a wonderful tool especially for those who are relatively new to the Word.
Yours in Christ
Don Denison
Don:
There is no need to apologize. I am not here for any glory or acclaim. I simply want to make sure that the family has the tools that they need.
I hope to someday have the privilege of owning a Cambridge; at the moment, they are out of my budget.
Lastly, thank you for your valuable feedback. It helps me to get better with my content.
Matthew, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed in a Cambridge. In my opinion they are worth every penny. Which one are you looking for? I will keep a watch for one.
Dear Matthew:
I just saw your post, I often am up late due to insomnia, so i just checked the three sites that I monitor.
I hadn’t even thought that you did your reviews for “Glory”. I for many years was a Board member in a 501-3c organization that puts on a very large Bluegrass Festival, and know that most volunteers work to further those things they love, and to perform a service for others. I congratulate you on your reviews, these things take time, and then when you think you have it nailed, some old curmudgeon like me comes along and takes you to task for one thing or another that really doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. Being in the public eye often generates responses that are surprising, as I recently found out.
Cambridge products are not terribly expensive. I retired my father’s old Schofield Reference Bible about a year ago and have been looking for one that is just right for the way I use the Bible. The first one I bought was a Cambridge Personal Concord just to have something decent while looking for the one I would settle on. This bible, roughly 5″X7″X1 1/4″ has all the helps that the full size Concord features, and has a French Morocco cover that gives enough body so that it can be easily hand held, and has bright vibrant red letters, all for only $50 at Evangelical Bible, this humble little bible has become the King of the Lamp Table by my chair.
The caution I have about any study bible is that one should be aware that the notes are just that, they in themselves are not Holy Writ, but are informed opinion of a scholar, or a group of scholars, this one seems to be pretty well done without a lot of personal opinion, and is guided by scripture. One could do a lot worse than this bible.
Yours in Christ
Don Denison
Dear Matthew:
I wanted you to know that one of our church members has this bible and is very well pleased with it, she was probably one of the first to buy when it first came on the market. From everything I can see, it looks like this bible is going to be well received and loved.
Yours in Christ
Don Denison
I’m interested in this bible, but I heard somewhere that Dr. Jeremiah dismisses the last twelve verses of Mark in this bible. Is this really true? What does he say exactly?
Hi Michael
Dr. Jeremiah does not, per se, dismiss them. He points out that they are disputed (and they are). Some Greek texts are missing these verses and so we are not 100% if they were scribal additions as is the case with verses that have been moved to the footnotes in NIV, HCSB, ETC or if they are copyist error.
Here are some links that may prove helpful:
https://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/41-85/the-fitting-end-to-marks-gospel
http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/new-testament/the-strange-ending-of-the-gospel-of-mark-and-why-it-makes-all-the-difference/
http://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/3973/is-the-ending-of-the-gospel-of-mark-169-20-original
http://www.bible-researcher.com/endmark.html
Dr. Jeremiah was my pastor for a couple years as was one of the editors. These men are very conservative in their approach to the Bible and take it very seriously. Buy the Jeremiah Study Bible, it is a great resource to have.
Grace to you,
Pastor Matthew Sherro (the Author of this Review)
“Some Greek texts are missing these verses”
By “some” you mean 3. There are only 3 Greek manuscripts that omit the last twelve verses of Mark.
As Wilbur Pickering states in The Identity of the New Testament Text IV, pg. 305, “The passage in question is contained in every extant Greek manuscript (about 1,700) except three: codices B (Vaticanus) and A (Sinaiticus) and the twelfth century minuscule 304. It is also contained in all extant lectionaries.”
That is a statistical landslide.
We also have the early church fathers quoting from these very verses around 200 years before Sinaiticus and Vaticanus which totally discredits the credibility of these manuscripts.
Also, the Armenian translators had studied in Alexandria(Egypt) which explains why their manuscripts lack these verses, and the Georgian version was based on the Armenian.
And the Holy Spirit, through Mark, would not have ended his Gospel with the disciples trembling and afraid.
So Dr. Jeremiah’s “study note comment” is causing thousands of believers to doubt Mark 16:9-20 based on 3 Greek manuscripts against 1,700?
Lets briefly review those 3 Greek manuscripts:
Codex Vaticanus – A fourth century manuscript of the Alexandrian text-type from Egypt, full of errors and omissions. It contains an empty column after Mark 16:8 indicating the copyist wasn’t finished writing. Erasmus and the Reformation scholars recognized it as corrupt and rejected it.
Codex Sinaiticus – Another fourth century manuscript from Egypt with similar readings to Vaticanus full of errors and omissions. It was retrieved from the trash can in a monastery in Sinai, Egypt. The keepers of the library had put it in the trash for good reason.
Minuscule 304 – Another spurious manuscript containing some unknown writer’s commentary mingled within the Scripture.
Beware of anyone saying Mark 16:9-20 is a “forgery” or a “scribal addition.” It’s obvious why Macarthur denies these verses of Scripture. He’s a cessationist, and these verses are the fly in his ointment. They directly refute his heresy that God’s power was only for the apostles. He thinks God’s name is “I was” instead of “I am”.
Love the study Bible in large print,; the print is very dim! Really disappointed! Print should be darker & bold!! Really wished I had sent it back! Would rather for th Bible to be thicker than larger all over!
I have 2 questions. First, do the study notes throughout the New Testament side in with the minority critical text and undermine the NKJV?
Second, what position do the study notes take on Romans 7:7-25? Before salvation or after salvation?
To answer your first question, no. Dr. Jeremiah, generally sticks with the NKJV and does not undermine it. One of the major contributors to this Bible has taught Greek for over 50 years and superintends the project. To answer your second question, could you be more specific? Thanks