Review of the Zondervan NIV Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition

Review of NIV Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition

I am doing something a little different on my Blog today, I am writing a review of the NIV Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition from Zondervan Publishers. I was sent this Bible to review by Bible Gateway for free as a member of BG² (#BibleGatewayPartner). The Life Application Bible has been in existence since 1988, but this Third Edition has expanded content and a new look. They have updated the historical information and expanded the notes. The copy I received was the Brown Leathersoft edition. I will start with the only negative I have at this time with the Bible. The edition I received was a fine thin paper, and with the gilding on the edges, I found it challenging at times to separate the pages. This might only be my fingers problem, and as far as the whole picture – it is easily lived with. Once separated, the pages were fine. Now to the good stuff---

Over the years of being a Pastor and Bible Teacher, I have heard of the Life Application Bible. I have casually glanced at it a few times, but having a favorite Study Bible, I did not see the need to purchase one. Having had an opportunity to review the Third Edition, I see that I have been missing out on a goldmine of study materials. I must say that this is an excellent one-volume resource for both personal edification and for preparation of lessons for helping others grow in their knowledge and application of God’s Word. It is an excellent resource to help you understand the context of a passage, along with important background and historical information. It has a goal of helping one see the relevance and application of the Bible to our lives today – making it very practical. As a Pastor, I loved the Lay-Flat feature of this version.

I was immediately impressed with the list of Bible scholars who contributed to the resources and notes in this edition.

I perused the many different features that can be found in this resource. Every page has multiple Notes – both as explanatory information and practical application. Every Book of the Bible starts with an introduction that includes a Timeline, an Overview/Blueprint of the book, the Megathemes found in the book, and a map that correlates the book to the Biblical narrative. There are hundreds of Charts and Diagrams spread throughout the text.

I found one resource highly interesting – The Harmony of the Books of Kings and Chronicles. This resource provides the reader with a view of the Kings of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, and how they related timewise with each other. Similarly, in the New Testament is a very well presented Harmony of the Gospels.  Part of this Harmony is a list of the Parables, Miracles, and Prophecies. A good comparison of the Four Gospels also helps the reader understand how the four accounts connect. There is a 365 day Daily Bible Reading Chart to help the student read through the Bible in a year.

My favorite resource in this Bible is the Master Index. It is a comprehensive index to people, places, and topics in the Bible. It makes it easy for the beginner and the advanced students of God’s Word to quickly find information.

I looked up my Lifeverse – Isaiah 40:31 and checked out the note on it. There were two – the first one reminded me that God’s strength and power never diminishes. The second one asks a series of questions – “Do you believe God loves you and wants the best for you? Can you relax, confident that his purposes are right?... Though your faith may be struggling or weak hold on tightly to it to experience the strength you need.” (page 1171) This is typical of the kind of notes that you find in this edition.

This Bible provides us with a concise resource to learn to apply the truth of Scripture not only in our own lives but to teach others. I highly recommend this Bible to Sunday School teachers. The wealth of information will help to escalate the level of your teaching weekly. The practical applications will help you make the Word alive and relevant. As they state, “A small change every day adds up to a changed life – and that is one of the very purposes of Scripture.” (page A19)