ESV Study Bible; A New Gift in Several Ways!

Usually if somebody wants to find me, there are one of three places that I'm going to be at: Antigua Coffee House, Panera Bread, or the "world famous" iHop (I usually refer to this as the Study Triangle :). I am at these places to accomplish two things; study (read) and meet peeps. When studying I usually tote around a bag with books that weigh enough to justify a company like Continental Airlines to charge me an additional $500. Come October, however, this bag will contain a lot less books. Why you ask? Good question!

Come October, Crossway is releasing it's new ESV Study Bible. Let's make no mistake, the Word of God itself is of ultimate value. There is no other book or commentary that is of equal or greater value than the Scriptures. With that said, the notes and study helps in this Bible will significantly cut down the amount of supplementary study tools that I will need to bring along with me to the study triangle. Crossway has been gracious enough to pre-release introductions and excepts from the books of Luke and Revelation. To see an overview of the content and features of the whole Bible, click here.

Made With People That Use Their Bible In Mind
One of the things I'm most excited about in this new Study Bible is the quality of how it's made. The binding is Smyth sewn, which is considered the finest Bible binding method and is designed to last a lifetime and the paper is high-opacity, high-quality French Bible paper from Papeteries Du Luman (PDL); this is widely considered the finest paper in the world and is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), having been made from forests that are managed to preserve and sustain forestlands.. Finally, a Bible that's not going to fall apart after six months of use!!

35% Pre-Order Discount From now until July 31!
Friends of Sovereign Grace Ministries (this means any of you who are reading this) are invited to pre-order the Study Bible at a 35% discount! Simultaneously, Crossway will donate five percent of these purchases to Sovereign Grace Ministries. These donations will be used to support families who are training at the Pastors College. The Pastors College exists to train men to serve, lead, and plant Sovereign Grace Ministries churches and to support men currently serving as pastors within Sovereign Grace. My church, Sovereign Grace of Pearland, is sending a family to Pastors College this year, and I can tell you that the fruit produced from the training that he will receive at this college is beyond what anyone can measure. How generous of Crossway to kick back some of the profits to our ministry so men can be trained biblically in order to properly lead churches and fulfill the call that God has placed on their life!

To receive the discount—and support men in the PC—simply click here. You will be directed to a customized webpage where you can see an overview of the Study Bible and place your order.

I have been using the ESV translation for the past 5 years and I have yet to find a better translation. The ESV is an “essentially literal” translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. As such, its emphasis is on “word-for-word” correspondence, at the same time taking into account differences of grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages. Thus it seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and meaning of the original. (More about the translation philosophy here and about the ESV in general here.)

List of Endorsements
These are men that have been given a chance to see this Bible already and the value that they see in it. May we always be more passionate about the Scriptures themselves, yet thankful for the gifts and grace that God has given certain men to help us in our understanding of what the Bible says!

• “I can’t imagine a greater gift to the body of Christ than the ESV Study Bible. It is a potent combination indeed: the reliability and readability of the ESV translation, supplemented by the best of modern and faithful scholarship, packaged in an accessible and attractive format. A Christian could make no wiser investment for himself, a pastor could recommend no better resource for his congregation.”
  C. J. Mahaney, President, Sovereign Grace Ministries

• “The ESV is a dream come true for me. The rightful heir to a great line of historic translations, it provides the continuity and modern accuracy I longed for. Now the scope and theological faithfulness of the ESV Study Bible study notes is breathtaking. Oh how precious is the written Word of God.”
  John Piper, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church

• “The ESV Study Bible is the most important resource that has been given to the emerging generation of Bible students and teachers. The ESV Study Bible is the best. Period.”
  Mark Driscoll, Preaching Pastor, Mars Hill Church; President of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network

• “Like the ESV itself, this Study Bible sets a new standard in excellence. The craftsmanship invested in every page—from the insightful articles and informative notes to the crisp design and gorgeous illustrations—makes it an invaluable tool for students of God’s Word. As a pastor it’s my goal to get one into the hands of every member of my church.”
  Joshua Harris, Senior Pastor, Covenant Life Church

• “Outstanding! The ESV Study Bible is a treasure—a beautiful volume, filled with a wealth of resources. It will be just as useful for the seminarian and long-time pastor as it will be accessible to the brand-new Christian.”
  R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

• “The ESV Study Bible is a tour de force: innovative production, beautiful graphics, and notes by outstanding scholars packed with useful information.”
  Mark Dever, Senior Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C.

• “I was privileged to act as General Editor of the English Standard Version, and now that I look back on what we did in producing that version, I find myself suspecting very strongly that this was the most important thing that I have ever done for the Kingdom, and that the product of our labors is perhaps the biggest milestone in Bible translation in certainly the last half century at least, and perhaps more. And now, as Theological Editor of the ESV Study Bible, I believe that the work we have done together on this project has set an altogether new standard in study Bibles.”
  J. I. Packer, Professor of Theology, Regent College (Vancouver, Canada)

• “The ESV Study Bible is accessible, comprehensive, theologically sound, beautifully and helpfully formatted, chock full of maps, charts, well-chosen cross-references, and illustrations. I’m confident that it will be an instant and reliable help to growing Christians; high school, college, and seminary students; busy pastors; and Bible teachers. In short, the ESV Study Bible is an edifying, state-of-the-art resource that I highly recommend and will use with joy!”
  Ligon Duncan, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church (Jackson, Mississippi); President, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals