Charts and diagrams help readers visualize different concepts and relationships and their significance in the book, throughout the Bible and in our lives. Maps Personally, I believe the best study Bible will have study notes written by a variety of scholars. This allows you to get a variety of perspectives on a variety of texts. If all the notes are written by a single person, you’re only getting their interpretation of all the passages. This can get especially dicey if you’re getting into more difficult texts, like in the Book of Revelation. There are certainly going to be elements of preference involved in making your choice. Maybe your church uses one particular translation. Maybe you grew up reading and memorizing the NASB. Maybe you just like the way a particular translation feels. Study the stories and teachings of the Bible with study notes, overviews, vital statistics, outlines, and timelines. Grasp difficult concepts using in-text maps, charts, and diagrams. Discover how you can apply the Bible to your life today.

In my video review of the Life Application Bible, I show you how the study notes work in this Bible. They include traditional notes like most study Bibles that give readers details about the historical and literary context of the biblical text, but they also have notes about how the text applies to our lives (you can see examples of both of these types of notes in the photo below from the Gospel of Matthew). This feature is what makes the Life Application Study Bible unique, because it is designed specifically for application. Where other study Bibles offer insight about the text, the Life Application Study Bible goes one step further and asks readers to consider how it applies to the rhythm of their daily lives. Personally, I believe this is an inferior and unhelpful method of translation because it has the potential to introduce interpretationinto the translation.Bottom line: When it comes to choosing the best study Bible, I would recommend one that focuses on interpretation rather than application. Bringing It All Together: Best Study Bible Recommendations Because it has the potential to introduce the biases of the translators. This, in turn, can lead to words and phrases being used that weren’t originally in the text. Adherents of “dynamic equivalence” (and the more recent label “functional equivalence”) do not necessarily feel obliged to translate the actual words of the original. Instead, these translators often engage in commentary on the biblical text instead of translation of it. This is done by bypassing the words of the original and offering an interpretation of its “content meaning” as distinct from its “lexical meaning.” The notes, however, are not inspired by God. They are written by men and women and are based on their particular interpretations of scripture. While their comments can certainly be helpful in understanding the text, they don’t require obedience of any sort. Only the Bible itself commands that kind of obedience. Best Study Bible: Interpretive or Application? Study the stories and teachings of the Bible with verse-by-verse commentary. Gain wisdom from people in the Bible by exploring their accomplishments and learning from their mistakes. Survey the big picture of each book through overviews, vital statistics, outlines, and timelines, and grasp difficult concepts using in-text maps, charts, and diagrams—all to help you do life God’s way, every day.

In other words, instead of simply translating the words as they were originally written, an attempt is made to interpret the meaning of the original words and then let that interpretation guide the translation. Bottom line: If you want the best study Bible, I recommend getting an essentially literal translation. Essentially literal study Bible translations are those that seek to examine the original Greek or Hebrew word, then translate that word into English as literally as possible.

Application study Bibles tend to focus primarily (not exclusively) on helping you applythe Bible to various situations in your life. In other words, the main goal of an application study Bible is not to dig deep into the meaning of the text. Rather, it’s aim is to bring the various passages into the challenges you face. Overall, this is a big simplification of the two methods of translation, but I think you get the point. Now let’s dive into the nitty gritty of choosing a good study Bible for you. Which Is The Best Study Bible Translation? The Life Application Study Bible has been one of the best selling Bibles in the world for over thirty years, and in 2019 it was completely overhauled with edits, updates, and new material. This new “Third Edition” initially appeared in Tyndale’s flagship NLT edition of the Life Application Study Bible, but now they’ve released an updated NIV edition, and later this year the update will arrive in a KJV option.

Additionally, I don’t want someone else doing the hard work of wrestling through how to apply various verses. I want to prayerfully grapple with the text, seeking God’s help to pull out the various meanings and applications. New features include: a refreshed interior design with a second color for visual clarity; meaningfully updated study notes and features; and the Christian Worker's Resource- a special supplement to enhance the reader's ministry effectiveness. Now more than 10,000 Life Application® notes and features that help explain God’s Word and challenge you to apply its truth to your life today With a fresh two-color interior design and meaningfully updated study notes and features, this Bible will help you understand God’s Word better than ever. It answers the real-life questions that you may have and provides you practical yet powerful ways to apply the Bible to your life every day. The Life Application Study Bible is an award-winning and best-selling Bible for good reason: it helps people apply the Bible to their lives. I’m quite impressed with the overall look and feel of the copies I have for review, and I think the study material is quite good.

Because I believe that the Holy Spirit is primarilyresponsible for helping us apply God’s word to our lives. He is the one who makes convicts us of sin and righteousness. He is the one who reveals Christ to us. He is the one who comforts us in our afflictions and encourages when we’re downtrodden.