Study Bibles can be a great resource; however, the reliability of a Study Bible is contingent on the company and editors that are publishing it. Some members of the church have been waiting for a Study Bible they could rely on, one published by faithful members of the Lord’s church. Well, here it is! Apologetics Press has done the brotherhood an inestimable value in using their team to collaborate and publish the Defending The Faith Study Bible. I was excited about this Study Bible from the moment I heard that it was coming to fruition. It will serve as a tremendous resource for years to come. Looking over the contents of its pages, it is as if the editors assembled some of the greatest writings from Apologetics Press that relate to defending the Christian faith and collated them within a Bible one can open and both learn and use to defend the faith.
The
editors of this work include Kyle Butt, Dave Miller, Eric Lyons, and Jeff Miller.
These names should not be strangers to those among churches of Christ who
appreciate sound apologetics. In addition to the editorial work, several well
respected writers’ names whose articles have been included will be readily
recognized by many: Wayne Jackson, Justin Rogers, Dewayne Bryant, Caleb Colley,
Mike Houts, and Brandon May.
I
am a bit skeptical about Study Bibles and some of the new materials being
published by denominational publishing houses. While I have great confidence in
this team, I still wanted to examine the Study Bible first hand before I
recommended it. For me, a Study Bible that is claiming to be apologetic in
scope must deal with several vital topics effectively before I would recommend
it. One of the topics that served as my “litmus test” for this Study Bible is
its treatment of the Day-Age Theory and Age of the Earth. Theism is a big tent,
and many do not realize this and assume that if someone is a theist then they
view the days of creation the same way as all those who believe the Bible. This
is not the case. Theist is a “big
tent” term embracing various and conflicting approaches to the Genesis account.
Apologetics Press has long been a defender of the 24-hour creation days, but I
wanted to be sure that position was held within the pages of this Study Bible.
On page 10 begins a 7-page scholarly work on the question “Does Genesis Allow
For Billions of Years?” The conclusion, in part: “Many
apparently well-meaning Christians have felt pressure to compromise Scripture
in an attempt to accommodate modern naturalistic theories. Neither Moses, Paul,
the underlying Hebrew of Genesis, the chronology of Genesis 1, nor the
statements of Jesus Himself will allow for such compromises” (16).
The
translation utilized is the New King James. There are many explanatory notes
and scholarly articles to supplement the apologetic thrust of this study Bible.
Major apologetic themes are designated with a color-coded key and include:
Creation, Bible Inspiration, Existence of God, Deity of Christ, Alleged Bible
Discrepancies, and World Religions. Keep in mind that there are many Study
Bibles with various themes; e.g., Archaeology
Study Bible. This Study Bible is devoted to the theme of apologetics or
defending the faith. This is a Study Bible you will want for yourself, for your
children, and your grandchildren. Do not miss obtaining your copy of the Defending The Faith Study Bible by
Apologetics Press!
Originally printed West
Virginia Christian, Vol. 27, No. 1, January 2020, p. 8. Reprinted by
permission.
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