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| The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version | 
 enlarge | Author: Published By Ligonier Ministries General Editor-r. C. Sproul
Creators: R. C. Sproul, Keith Mathison
Publisher: P & R Publishing
Category: Book
Buy New: $104.18
New (2) Used (9) from $25.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  62 reviews
Sales Rank: 275107
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 1948
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.2
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.9 x 1.8
ISBN: 0875526438
Dewey Decimal Number: 220
EAN: 9780875526430
ASIN: 0875526438
Publication Date: February 16, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Great, but.... August 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Great study bible. I can say, beyond doubt, this is the most doctrinally pure Study Bible. Very readable. I prefer the NIV for reading, but since this bible is meant for "serious study" the ESV was a great choice. Defends the doctrines of Grace. True to the reformed tradition, supports infant baptism. However, the authors are not dogmatic and clearly state that there are many brethren who hold other positions.
One major FLAW is in prophecy. All the reformers and the founders of mainline churches clearly stated that the papacy is the antichrist, Islam is the other horn of the antichrist, The Roman Church is the whore of babylon, etc...
It is, at best, misleading to avoid these.
In conclusion, I don't regret in one bit buying this great study tool. However, for the reason I mentioned above, I'm slight disappointed,..
However, no study bible is perfect. And, with the options available today (infected with "I'm in charge Arminianism, and sci-fi eschatology), this is a NO-BRAINER.
Get it!
A second study bible June 12, 2008
I think this bible is a really good second study bible. First off the typesetting is fantastic, I can read it easily without reading glasses or strain. The second thing that is excellent is that the notes are almost always correct, which is something that is generally not true of most study bibles. The notes are also generally useful for someone who is familiar with the text. I personally don't like the ESV but it fits the conservative mood of the notes; the translation and the notes work well together and share a common viewpoint (which is odd given that the notes came from another text).
However, I would never recommend this bible as someone's first study bible. As others have mentioned the concordance is much smaller than in the NIV/TNIV. It lacks an index of subjects. It doesn't have color maps using simply black and white maps. It lacks the kinds of charts one would expect. It probably has only about a 1/3rd of the number of notes that most translations have. Having cut my teeth on the NIV study bible I'd have to say for a first I'd go with Zondervan TNIV Study Bible. Their balanced translation philosophy is a better choice for a first study bible, since the ESV frequently obscures meaning. If you want reformed theology for a first study bible, NASB MacArthur Study Bible. And if you are looking for an ESV study bible ESV, The ESV Study Bible (Hardcover).
Also I notice a lot of focus in the other comments on "accuracy" something that in general the ESV is not particularly good at. If you are picking this because you like the ESV (i.e. for translational issues) a better translation with far more emphasis on translational issues is: The Net Bible, First Edition: A New Approach to Translation, Thoroughly Documented with 60,932 Notes By The Translators and Editors
So if you:
1) already own a study bible, and have read it and understood
2) are starting to have trouble with small print and/or just want less noise on the page
3) are looking for a reformed theology study bible
this is a great choice. If you are missing any of those 3 criteria I'd search elsewhere. And that's why I'm giving it a mixed review. I think its a very narrow group that would like it.
Good Study Bible but not the Best June 2, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
R.C. Sproul does a good job putting together this study bible. The Bible itself (hardcover) looks beautiful. I was amazed when It came in. The print is somewhat larger than most and so it is easier on the eyes when laboring over scripture for hours. The ESV may be easier to read than the NASB but the NASB in some respects is clearly the more accurate translation. Also, I have to say...I honestly prefer R.C. Sproul's books over John Macarthur's. However John Macarthur's Study Bible far surpasses R.C's Reformation Study Bible. The Notes from John's are much more in depth. R.C.'s study notes cover some topics and verses that John's doesn't and so the Bibles accommodate eachother very well. But if you don't own a study bible, your budget is tight and you are looking for just 1 study Bible, no question, hands down you should go with Macarthur. If you are going with just physical appearance than you should go with Sproul (of course your vanity would be another issue) If you desire to add another sudy bible to your library, you already have Macarthur's, than the Reformation Study Bible is far ahead of all other study bibles for second place.
 Good information May 30, 2008
I like the fact that alot of the notes in this Bible express the many different views that Christians hold on what the interpretation of certain verses is. Usually several viewpoints are explained to let you draw a conclusion on which one you agree with. That seems consistent with the sermons and lectures that I have heard Dr. Sproul give, which are presented very well and make you think deeply about things that you would'nt think impacted Christianity.
 Faithful to the text but lacking a few features.. May 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am currently reading through the NT in this Bible. I appreciate that the ESV is more faithful to the original languages than the NIV, however this ESV Study Bible seems to pale in comparison to Zondervan's NIV Study Bible. I have noticed that there have been a number of verses in the NT that this ESV Study Bible ignores, or gives virtually no attention. The NIV Study Bible addresses virtually every verse in the Bible. Also this ESV Bible seems to lack the depth of maps, charts, tables and other features found in the NIV Study Bible. Its just so annoying having a question about a verse, and not being able to rely on the limited study bible notes found in this bible.
Other than this, this is a good bible and more faithful to the original authors than the NIV.
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