Review: NIV Student Bible

Yes, another Bible! 

This time BibleGateway Blogger Grid offered a free copy of Zondervan's NIV Student Bible for review. It's a hardcover edition, complete with satin ribbon marker and some really helpful notes from authors Philip Yancey and Tim Stafford. It's three pounds of double-columned, comfort print (even for these old eyes!) and comes with a dust jacket. The notes that accompany the Scriptures range from blurbs that clarify a term or concept, to full-page articles on topics like "Is a War Ever Holy?" or "Final Glimpses of Jesus." There are notes on "100 People You Should Know," and a glossary of people and places mentioned in the supplementary notes. There are helpful indexes of things such as "Well-Known Events" and "Some Notable Psalms," introductory pages on each book of the Bible, a quick reference of Israel's rulers, a subject guide (similar to a topical concordance), and of course, maps. 

The thing I like best about this Bible is, although it is identified as a "student Bible," a moniker that usually describes a Bible geared toward college students and young adults, I think this Bible is suitable for just about anyone. There are three different reading plans described in the beginning pages; they call it a "3-Track Plan." The first track is suggested for those who are maybe just beginning to read Scripture. It consists of fourteen weeks of readings broken into two-week increments, seven different topics. "Passages every Christian should know," is how they are described. It's my opinion, however, this reading plan might be just as helpful for someone who has been reading the Scriptures, but is just beginning to teach, or someone simply looking for a brief study of any of the seven topics. The second track, "A Guided Tour of the Bible," is made up of 180 readings; its goal is "to present the underlying story of the Bible." Each reading is a single chapter of the Bible and its attendant note; and each note ends with an application-type question or challenge. Lastly, Track 3 is a complete Bible reading plan, a chapter each day, alternating between Old and New Testaments. This requires at least a three-year commitment but will result in you having read the Bible cover-to-cover. 

If you are looking for a study Bible that explains things simply and creatively, this is the Bible for you. Its available at FaithGateway and on Amazon. Don't forget to check out BibleGateway for some great study tools and download the Bible Gateway App!