Oct 31, 2008

Endorsements for The Reformation Study Bible (ESV)

4 Min Read

For those considering our 2008 Reformation Week special offer, we wanted to offer a little more encouragement by republishing endorsements for The Reformation Study Bible:

"I would like every English-speaking Christian to own and use The Reformation Study Bible. First because it is a Bible, God's Word to mankind -- and the English Standard Version is the translation I pray will become the church's standard for the next fifty years. Second, because it is a study Bible -- and the God-centered scholars who wrote the notes are reverent and rigorously faithful to the facts of faith and history. Third, it is a reformation study Bible—and the whole counsel of God's sovereign grace is affirmed and illumined. Study notes are not infallible, only the Bible is. But I know of no study Bible that comes closer to the truth than this one."

John Piper, Preaching Pastor, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis

"The Reformation Study Bible is a milestone in evangelical publishing. This magnificent resource offers insightful commentary, study notes, and background material on every book of the Bible, written by some of the most faithful and insightful evangelical scholars of our times. The notes combine theological clarity with genuine scholarship and practical application. This is a serious study Bible for serious students, and it belongs in every Christian's library."

Albert Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

"The ESV has quickly established itself as a reliable and readable version of Holy Scripture rooted as it is in the historic tradition of English translations. But it is one thing to own a new Bible translation, another thing to read it with understanding. That is why the announcement of the marriage of the ESV to study notes which have been helpful to Bible readers for a decade now should be widely welcomed. This new study Bible will, I hope, do for the 21st century church what The Geneva Bible of 1560 (with its study notes) did for evangelical Christianity in the 16th and 17th centuries - encourage us to "read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest" God's Word with fresh enthusiasm and understanding, deepening our love for its Author, and motivating us to "glorify God and to enjoy him forever."

Sinclair B. Ferguson, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, S.C.

"The Reformation Study Bible combines an elegant, essentially-literal rendering of the Scriptures with an outstanding body of commentary and study material in a one-volume treasure trove for Christians looking for a truly helpful aid to serious Bible study. If you are looking for a study Bible with notes that reflect a high view of Scripture, God and grace, united with a faithful and readable translation of God's Word, then look no further. You've found it."

J. Ligon Duncan, III, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Miss.

"The Reformation Study Bible is the perfect combination. The notes produced by Dr. R. C. Sproul and others provide the most reliable and helpful commentary in print today, while the text of the English Standard Version is the most accurate and literary translation of the Bible available in English. This is the gold standard for study Bibles, and I will be commending it to my congregation and other serious students of the Scriptures."

Philip Graham Ryken, Senior Minister, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia

"Why another study Bible? Because this one concentrates on explaining the Bible and its own central message rather than making it an echo of our own interests. This is not a faddish study Bible. It will be around for a while, perhaps generations. That is because the great truths that it highlights are always waiting there to be mined again and again by a new generation. This will be our family's Bible and the one that I use in my preaching and teaching."

Michael S. Horton, Professor of theology and apologetics, Westminster Seminary California

"I appreciate the sensitivity to both doctrinal and pastoral issues that characterizes the notes of this study Bible. I know of no higher endorsement to give than to say that I rarely preach without first reading the study notes."

Mark Dever, Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C.

"I recommend The Reformation Study Bible for its combination of an accurate translation and high quality study notes."

Vern S. Poythress, Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia

"I received an ESV Bible as a speaker's gift at a Ligonier conference a few years ago. I have since used it in my personal study and preparations, and on occasion I have used it for preaching. Although I'm not a specialist in this field, I have found the ESV translation to be very clear and readable. The idea of combining the ESV translation with the footnotes and articles of The Reformation Study Bible is a win-win proposition. Dr. Sproul has been instrumental in exposing a wide-range of evangelicals to the beauty of Reformational theology and The Reformation Study Bible will be another step in that direction. I pray that God will use this effort for the edifying of his people."

Kenneth Jones, Pastor Greater Union Baptist Church, Compton, Calif.

"The Reformation Study Bible helps the reader explore the awesome sovereignty of God—it's a wonderful guide for anyone who desires to understand the great, historical doctrines of the church embedded in God's Word."

Joni Eareckson Tada, Founder, Joni and Friends