Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look at an ever-changing culture through the lens of unchanging truth. For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street. A search for study Bibles at the Christian Book Distributor's website yields over 2,600 results. Though Bibles published with attached notes date all the way back to at least the 1500s, it was beginning in the 20th century that the practice exploded.
So, today, virtually every theological tradition, every demographic, vocation, cultural perspective, preacher, influencer, from teen girls to firefighters to duck hunters. All have a study Bible just for them. As Stephen Nichols has explained when reviewing the massive number of study Bibles on the market today, and I quote, all except the Geneva Bible, date from the 20th and 21st centuries. It would not be a stretch to speak of the century spanning from 1917 to the present as the century of the study Bible.
Now, is this a good thing? Of course, on one hand, scholarly notes make the truths of the Bible more accessible to more people, especially to more believers, and that's great. value. There's incredible value, in fact, in seeing the text in its full literary, historical, and theological context. Like iron sharpening iron, we all benefit when we can benefit from the knowledge of fellow Christians, especially those who have the gifts for study and for teaching.
On the other hand, it's certainly not uncommon for study Bibles to contain far more notes than the biblical text. For example, the current edition of the Life Application Study Bible was 3,264 pages. And it's common for readers to get so distracted by all the extra resources that we end up losing track of what is God's actual word. In the process, we read far more about the Bible than we read the Bible itself. And the hyperspecific study Bibles carry an even greater danger.
After all, if each of us is reading a narrowly tailored version of scripture to us, woman's Bible, a teen's Bible, a teacher's Bible, a butcher-baker, candlestick maker's Bible, we can see God's Word as being the key to our own personal Jesus. God's Word is for God's people as a whole, together, not just for individuals living atomistic lives. In A Practical Guide to Culture, Brett Kunkel and I provided principles for how to read the Bible. In it I suggested only reading study notes after reading the text of the Bible itself. Why?
Well, it's simply because it's a posture. and one that puts first things first. While tools such as commentaries and scholarly aids can certainly get us closer to the word of God, they're not an end in and of themselves. And we also suggest reading it together with others. That's primarily the task given to the church, but too often space that could be given to hearing together the word of God is given instead to other things like extended music or preaching.
Those are both very, very good things. But again, it's a matter of putting first things first. The Bible speaks to the redemptive power of God's word throughout the Old and New Testaments. The prophet Isaiah said that God's word would never return empty. It will accomplish that which he purposes.
And the prophet Jeremiah said he loved God's word so much he ate them and that they consisted of his joy and heart's delight. Throughout Scripture, we're told it's through God's Word that the world was created, that the creation is sustained, that new life is imparted, that spiritual growth takes place, that Satan is defeated, that judgment is delivered. In other words, God's Word is not just a book of helpful moral teachings. It's the book that defines reality, the book that transforms people and changes cultures. and can even change the future of nations.
Yes, the Bible's a book, but it's not just a book. It's the revealed truth of God, the self-revelation of the creator of the universe, by which he explains to us his world and his work, and within that brings us life and salvation.
So, in the words of Saint Augustine, take up and read, enjoy the gifts and the blessings that study Bibles provide, but read his word first and foremost. After all, his word is what provides the story of the world, his word is what frames all of reality under the rule and reign of Jesus Christ. And because his word culminates ultimately in the person and work of Jesus the Christ, our Redeemer, It is indeed good news. For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street with Breakpoint. Today's Breakpoint was co-authored with Andrew Carrico.
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