The CSB Tony Evans Study Bible takes material from Tony Evans’ sermons and writings to create a study Bible that blends commentary with devotions. Like Tony Evans’ ministry at the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, TX and The Urban Alternative, it has a kingsom focus and is aimed at men and women to encourage them to live for God every day. I’m reviewing the hardcover edition, ISBN: 9781433606861, printed in Korea.

Holman provided this Bible in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.

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This Bible is available at (includes some affiliate links)

Christian Book

Amazon

and many local Bible bookstores

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Table of Contents

  1. Video Review
  2. Materials
  3. Typography
  4. References
  5. Book Introductions
  6. Study Material
  7. Concordance
  8. Maps
  9. Comparisons
  10. Conclusion

Video Review

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Materials

This edition is hardcover with a dust jacket. The cover itself has the same design on the front and spine as the dust jacket. Rather than showing the features like the dust jacket, the back is clean and only shows the crown that’s found on the front. I like the dark brown and gold design. The liner is gold. It’s Smyth sewn and has 2 ribbons: brown for the Old Testament and red for the New Testament.

The paper seems to be in the mid 30’s in gsm. I think it’s the same paper Holman uses for all of the study Bibles. It’s highly opaque and easy to turn. It’s off-white in color and I think it’s excellent for reading or marking.

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Typography

The text is presented in a two-column paragraph format with poetry in stanzas. Cross-references are placed in the outer margin. Footnotes are placed under the text. Commentary is placed at the bottom of the page in three columns. The header shows the book name and chapter number in the outer margin and the page number in the center. The header is separated from the text with a decorative line. Highlights are in gold.

The text is a 9-point black-letter in the Bible Serif typeface designed by 2K/Denmark. It has around 8 words per line and it’s printed with line-matching for both the text and the notes. It’s dark but not too bold. The NT prints OT quotes in bold. The poetic settings break the stanzas in places that make sense. This text is highly readable.

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References

Unlike most study Bibles from Holman recently, this one has references. They’re placed in the outer margin starting at the top of the page. The left column is at the top and the right column is at the bottom and they’re separated by a styled dividing line. They are justified to line up with the column of text.

Here are some example references to help you compare:

  • Genesis 1:1 – Ps 90:2; 102:12; Is 40:21; Jb 1:1-3; Eph 3:21; Neh 9:6; Is 40:12-14; 43:7; Jr 10:12-16; Am 4:13; Rm 1:25; 1 Co 11:9; Col 1:16; Rv 4:11
  • Deuteronomy 6:4 – Zch 14:9; Mk 12:29, 32; Rm 3:30; 1Co 8:6; Eph 4:6; 1Tm 2:5; 2:19
  • Isaiah 9:6 – Is 7:14; 11:1-2; 53:2; Lk 2:11; Jn 3:16; Is 22:22; Mt 28:18; 1Co 15:25; Is 28:29; Dt 10:17; Neh 9:32; Is 10:21; 63:16; 64:8; 26:3, 12; 54:10; 66:12
  • Matthew 17:20 – Mt 21:21-22; Mk 11:23; Lk 17:6; Jn 11:40; 1Cor 13:2; Mk 9:23, 29; 13:31
  • Mark 11:23 – Ps 72:19; Rv 22:21; Ac 10:20; Jn 3:16; Ac 10:43; Rm 10:19; 1Pt 1:8-10; Mk 9:23; Jn 11:22
  • Mark 12:29 – Col 4:1; Jd 5; Dt 6:4
  • John 1:1 – Gn 1:1; Col 1:18; Jn 1:14; 1Jn 1:1; Rv 19:13; Jn 20:28; Php 2:6
  • Acts 2:38 – Lk 24:47; Ac 3:19; 26:20; Ac 8:12; 22:16; Ac 3:16; 15:14
  • 1 John 1:1 – Jn 1:1; 1Jn 2:13-14; Ps 119:25; Jn 1:1, 4; 5:24; Php 2:16

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Book Introductions

Book introductions take a page or less on average. They’re printed over a darker color that’s made to look like an old scroll. I love this design. They cover the author, historical background, message and purpose, and provide a simple outline. They also include a QR code and a URL that links to a video introduction.

The information is simple, but it does provide a good introduction to the setting, main themes, and main characters. I especially like the discussion on the historical background as this helps place the book in context.

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Study Material

Tony Evans was the general editor. The study material is taken from his sermons, teachings, and writings. The focus is application. The notes have a strong devotional feel. All of the notes within the text are placed in boxes so they stand apart from the text.

Study notes – these come from Tony Evans sermons and writings. They focus on understanding and applying passages. The Scripture text that the notes apply to are printed in bold within the notes. They’re placed at the bottom of the page.

Kingdom Living Lessons – these are 50 lessons about living for God. The goal is to show how God rules over every area of your life. They cover 5 topics: Kingdom, Personal, Family, Church, and Community. They’re placed within a styled box within the columns of text.

Hope Words – these are short inspirational quotes that are based on Scriptures. They’re placed within a small box within the text. There are lots of them. They help call attention to encouraging words on the page.

Articles – there are 40 articles on specific topics to teach a deeper understand and show application. They take about a page. They’re printed over a background that looks like old paper or a scroll. They include Scripture references and have a devotional feel.

Video Devotionals – it has over 150 videos of sermons and devotions on various topics. They include QR codes so you can view them on a mobile device. They also include a URL that you can enter into any browser to view them on your desktop. They’re placed within a slim box in the margin with the cross-references.

Questions and Answers – these are questions nd answers about the biblical text, theology, application, and even about Tony Evans’ ministry. They’re placed within small boxes throughout the text.

Application Questions – this is a list of questions to help you think deeper about the text. They provide a reference for you to read and then the list of questions.

Articles include:

  • Definitions of Key Terms and Doctrines of the Christian Faith
  • Topical Index to the Kingdom
  • Topical Index
  • Theology Overview
  • The Attributes of the Triune God
  • Bibliology
  • Names of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit
  • Doctrinal Outlines of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit
  • Christology
  • Pneumatology
  • Kingdom Life: Keys to Spiritual Growth
  • Spiritual Warfare

Charts include:

  • Harmony of the Gospels
  • The Ten Commandments
  • Doctrines Related to the Parables of Our Lord
  • Doctrinal Emphases in the Miracles of Our Lord

Bible reading plan – a 3-year plan takes you through the Bible in biblical order. It provides the month, reading, and day. A 1-year plan provides 2 readings: 1 from the OT and 1 from the NT. Each month has a key verse printed

Table of Weights and Measures – a little over a page, it includes weights, length, dry measure, and liquid measure. It provides the language, biblical measure, American and metric equivalents, and biblical equivalents.

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Concordance

The concordance is 131 pages with 3 columns per page. It has lots of entries and includes character studies. The entries are printed on gold and include the part of speech. This is an excellent concordance for study and sermon prep. Here are a few example entries with their number of references to help you compare:

  • Christ – 35
  • Christian – 2
  • Faith – 34
  • Faithful – 15
  • Faithful Love – 8
  • Faithfulness – 6
  • Faithless – 1
  • God – 77
  • Goddess – 2
  • God-Fearing – 1
  • Godless – 1
  • Godlessness – 2
  • Godliness – 6
  • Godly – 4
  • Praise(N) – 8
  • Praise(V) – 5
  • Pray – 14
  • Prayer – 6

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Maps

It includes 8 full-color maps on thick non-glossy paper. They are the most recent maps from Holman and they have darker colors. I love these colors. They’re clean and have large areas without text and are annotated well. This helps make them easy to use. I’d like to see an index to maps.

The maps include distance, topography, mountain peaks, routes, cities, major roads, Scripture references, location on the globe, kingdoms, locations of events, dates, etc.

Maps include:

  1. The Migration of Abraham
  2. The Route of the Exodus
  3. The Tribal Allotments of Israel
  4. The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah
  5. Israel in the Time of Jesus
  6. The Ministry of Jesus Around the Sea of Galilee
  7. The Passion Week in Jerusalem
  8. Paul’s Missionary Journeys

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Conclusion

The Tony Evans Study Bible is a well-designed Bible. I love the gold highlights. They can be a little difficult to read in low lighting, but I like them anyway. The content feels like a cross between a study Bible and a devotional Bible. The content stays out of the way of the text, but it’s easy to access when you do want it. The videos are an excellent feature. They add another method of study, which is great for visual and auditory leaners. Anyone looking for a study Bible with a devotional and kingdom focus and any fan of Tony Evans’ ministries would love this Bible.

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_________________________________________________________

This Bible is available at (includes some affiliate links)

Christian Book

Amazon

and many local Bible bookstores

_________________________________________________________

 

Holman provided this Bible in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.