Tuesday, October 31, 2017

not good news: ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible

ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible"Theology should, first and foremost, be rooted in God’s Word. The goal of the ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible is to demonstrate how all Christian doctrine arises from the pages of the Bible. Created to help readers understand how Scripture forms the basis for our understanding of God, humanity, sin, salvation, and eternity, this study Bible features over 400 short in-text doctrinal summaries connecting Christian beliefs to specific Bible passages, 25 longer articles explaining important theological topics in greater depth, and introductions to each book of the Bible that highlight the unique ways each book contributes to the whole of Christian theology. Created by an outstanding team of editors and 26 contributors, this resource has been created to help Christians better connect what they believe about God with the very words of Scripture."


There is a new study Bible out: The ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible. I labelled this post "not good news." Not because I have a problem with the ESV. But because I have a problem with publishers confusing adding helpful aids (i.e. maps, definitions, background historical information) with adding a deliberate theological lens. 
Yes, I know that any Bible translation, brings with it, at least to some extent, the theological worldview of the translators. But, and here is the crux of the problem, when we bundle a specific way of interpreting the Bible with the Bible, we are doing a great disservice to the very people the publishers say they are trying to help. 
Rather than helping people read the Bible, and listen to the voice of the Spirit, they are saying, in effect, "you don't have to think, pray, listen - this (and this alone) is what it means." Sure, that may be exaggerating a little, but my past experience with people using study Bibles is that they:

  • rely more on the notes than on the Bible;
  • they accept the authority of the notes at least as much, if not more than the words of the Bible;
  • they let the notes do the thinking and praying and listening to the Spirit for them.
So, don't buy a study Bible. Read a Bible, Read multiple translations. Pray. Read books about the text. Listen to the Spirit. Find some people with whom you can interact with the text together. 


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