The Jesus Bible NIV Edition

Marketed as a Louie Giglio/Passion product, Zondervan’s //The Jesus Bible// claims “sixty-six books. one story. all about one name.” (As printed on the cover page.) I usually find gimmick and niche Bibles forced, unhelpful, and a rehashing of material (sometimes not even relevant to the gimmick) from previously published books. This one is better than many of those in one sense: there is a LOT of material trying to connect passages throughout the Bible to Jesus, and it took me quite a while to read every bit of it (I think I’ve reviewed five other books since I started this one). There are about thirty contributing writers in one fashion or another, but only the major essays note the authors. Those essays aren’t very helpful, but the authors’ names will likely help sales. General additional content is typically from a Reformed and Evangelical perspective, although I did find one contribution in Revelation that does not agree with the rest of the incomplete “faith only” comments through the text and rightly stated, “Believers today can take note: faith and works should go hand in hand. The relationship between faith and works is natural, and neither one should be overemphasized at the expense of the other” (p.1973). All additions in the Old Testament imply a conditional immortality stance on the afterlife, whereas additions in the New Testament hint at what many call the “traditional” view of hell. There are also hints of dispensationalism multiple eschatologies. So, there are inconsistencies that are often found with many contributors. Of course, the biggest problem is that every book in the Bible is not “about” Jesus, as is the central claim of this specialty Bible. Much “points to” Jesus, but little is “about” him. Some of the commentary is spot on, but much is a stretch, forced connection, or outright incorrect. So, overall, it’s better than many of these types of specialty Bibles, but I’d still recommend getting a proper study Bible if one wants commentary and the Bible in one collection.

Aesthetically, I will say that the gray cotton hardcover looks and feels great, and the black and white lettering accent well. However, the cotton dirties quite easily and the cover printing is paint that appears to be easily scratched off and will chip in time. The formatting of content within the text was done well, including side bars and pertinent timeline placement.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Casual readers of the Bible may think that Jesus Christ is only relevant to four out of the 66 books. The truth, of course, is that the presence of Jesus Christ can be seen throughout every book of the Bible. And not just in a passive, symbolic sense, but in a real, active way. Recall at the end of the book of Luke how Jesus explained to the men all that was written about him in all the Scripture, starting from Moses and all the Prophets.

Most of us would have given anything to have been a fly on the wall on that Road to Emmaus. But in many ways, The Jesus Bible is in many ways an attempt to recreate what would have been in conversation. It's a full text NIV Bible that's annotate throughout with notes and commentary about how each particular book relates to Jesus.

Each Bible book is given a nickname that summarizes what the book says about Jesus. The book of Judges is subtitled "Jesus: Our Righteous Ruler". 1 Chronicles is subtitled "Jesus: Our Perfect Restorer". Jeremiah is called "Jesus: Our New Covenant". And so on. Starting out each book is a page or two of introduction that provides the historical background of the book, but also further explains how Jesus fits into the book. Throughout the pages of each book you'll find short commentary about certain passages that explain more about them, and how they too relate to the truth of Jesus Christ.

Familiar names such as Max Lucado and Ravi Zacharias contributed to the articles. At first when I heard this I rolled my eyes, thinking that this was yet another one of those hastily thrown-together Bibles that took things that had been written separately by various authors, repurposed or copied them, and called it "Bible Commentary". But to the editors' credit, it looks like all these authors' contributions were written specifically for this Bible, and with the exception of the main sections which are attributed to the editor-in-chief, it doesn't look like any of the other articles have bylines which says to me that they made a deliberate effort to make this a unique, cohesive, unified title.

The book itself, not surprisingly given that Zondervan is its publisher, is a beautiful, solid edition. The hard cover has a sturdy, canvas feel and the pages are thin but not so thin that they'll rip after every turn. The text is small, but readable, and the words don't bleed over to the other side.

Overall, I give this Bible a thumbs-up. Unlike other specialty Bibles which seem like they're just thrown together from random sources to try to make another buck, this one seems well thought-out and assembled, and is surely something that'll help in bringing you closer to understanding Jesus.

Great resource!

One of the most fun things that I occasionally have the opportunity to do is review Bibles. There are some that I love and have recommended to many people. Others don’t fare as well. I have mixed feelings about the one I am reviewing today – but much of that has to do with my “location,” so to speak, and not with the Bible itself.

Louie Giglio and Passion Publishing put out a Bible this year called “The Jesus Bible,” and I received a copy of the NIV Edition. I will say, my first impression was excellent. The pages are thicker than most Bibles, with ample room for notes, and the appearance is very attractive (especially to a younger crowd).

My hesitation arrives when it comes to the notes, which take a more reformed/Calvinist slant than I would prefer. I am not anti-reformed or Anti-Calvin, but I am a Wesleyan, and my framework for interpreting scripture and perceiving the Church often leaves me feeling disconnected from the notes. Fortunately, I have reformed friends who will love to benefit from a new Bible!

If you’re looking for a new Bible, this might be a good option for you – just keep your “location” on the map of Christian traditions in mind before investing.

I received an ARC of this Bible.

I absolutely love this Bible. The notes, essays and introductions help the whole Bible fit together as on story about Jesus! Design is beautiful...

The contributors are some of the most respected voices in the church and, overall, I find this study Bible igniting my passion for Jesus.

Highly recommended!

This is a detailed and wonderfully written Bible. The different notes by the authors offers an easy to understand view point on passages. It elaborates and interprets all types of passages making it great for anyone across the board. It is well put together physically and can make a great gift!

Can't say enough good things about this Bible. With all references to Jesus notated, with the devotions, application notes, index of O.T. prophecies fulfilled and so many more things, Jesus is truly seen and felt throughout this Bible. It also has a great dictionary/concordance if needed.

Sixty-Six Books. One Story. All About One Name. And this is the basic premise to this NIV Bible which will lead your through the Old and New Testaments with side bars recreating the times and experiences of the original spectators. The premise of this format is that the role of Jesus is not confined to the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In this book you will find commentary that affirms his presence in the Garden of Eden as well as on the cross.

This version looks at the Bible in it’s entirely and treats it as one continuity. The explanation states “The Bible is best understood when it’s viewed as one story in six acts”. Beginnings; Revolt; People; Savior; Church; and finally Forever.

The commentary within each book are written with logic, perspective and intelligence with the task of drawing the entirety of this book into the direct realm of Jesus. For instance in Genesis the short essay is titled “Jesus Created Everything and Holds It All Together”.

It then writes that Jesus has been from the beginning. John makes a similar claim at the onset of his Gospel and ending with John and Paul affirm this is the agent of creation. The Old Testament is looked at as God setting the stage for sending his Son. Every word of every book can be seen as a circle revolving around Jesus.

If you’ve read many version of the Bible or if you are new to the Good News you will find this version of the Bible answers your needs. It is well constructed, cloth bound and ribbon marked. This is an excellent investment to your eternal live.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First impressions of this Bible are nice. It is gray cloth over board, making it feel sturdy and look sleek and modern. A silver ribbon marker allows you to keep your place in the Bible. As someone who loves to write and journal in her Bible, I didn't find this Bible to have the wide margins that it claims to have. That was very disappointing. I don't have huge writing, but the space given barely seemed to give me enough space to write.

I did enjoy how that within each of the books of this Bible, it had sidebar articles explain how Jesus was a constant theme throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. The typeset is rather small at 7 point, but it is clean with only one column, and so far, easy to read.

Overall, this is a nice Bible, but for someone who writes in their Bible, I wouldn't get it for them.

Received this quickly. Very happy with my purchase. Great small articles throughout explaining how each book and/or passage points & relates to Jesus.