The Macarthur Study Bible

Rating:
Summary: Excellent! And I am not even a Dispensationalist!
Review: I have been admiring MacArthur for sometime. His passion for the Biblical truth still burns in him. His Study Bible is far better than all the other Study Bibles to date (including NIV Zondervan Study Bible and New Geneva Study Bible). Here are few reasons:
1. It has extensive study notes. This Study Bible has wealth of spiritual and Biblical information. It is practically a verse by verse expostional Study Bible. This alone merits high praise.
2. It has practical and devotional challenges. The study notes seem to have a goal in mind: holiness through knowledge of God. This particular element is clearly emphasized throughout the study notes.
3. It has useful addtional materials. Aside from maps, introduction and outline to each book of the Bible, it also contains very useful materials, such as: Topical Index, The Character of Genuine Saving Faith, etc.. They are very useful for both personal edification and teaching.

NOTE: This Study Bible teaches premillennialism, pre-tribulational rapture, cessasionism and Reformed (in Soteriology). I am Pre-mill, post-trib, non-cessasionist, and Reformed. Despite these differences, I have found this Study Bible better than all others. I liked it so much, I bought it two more and gave them to my friends!

Rating:
Summary: A study Bible that I can use as my everyday Bible.
Review: I have in my personal library about 30 Bibles, many of which are study Bibles. The MacArthur Study Bible stands out as the one that has everything I want in a study Bible. It is based on the New King James Version. I have studied Bible translations for a long time and I find the NKJV to be the most accurate and readable English translation. The NKJV also has the best textual notes of any English version. MacArthur's study notes are very substantial. There are typically more notes on each page than Bible text. This gives the reader serious verse by verse commentary that one can take wherever one goes with this Bible in hand. The notes themselves provide the needed information and research that aid interpretation and application. This Bible also features book introductions, in-text maps and charts, and an outline of theology. The only weakness is that the topical index, though a good idea for a study Bible, fails to use an outline format and just lists all the entries under one heading making it difficult to locate a specific entry. But if you are looking for a study Bible that uses a reliable translation and has sound conservative Evangelical commentary then this is the Bible for you.

Rating:
Summary: Good, as long as you're content with a single viewpoint...
Review: John MacArthur has a definite point of view that he believes in and emphasizes in this study Bible. He clearly knows his stuff within his tradition (Reformed / Conservative), but doctrines and viewpoints which Christians can (and do) reasonably disagree on get little or no coverage; deliberately I think.

So I would call this study Bible "infuriatingly excellent". Excellent in what it *does* cover, but woefully lacking in what it does not. Readers with no previous knowledge or experience could easily come away thinking (as MacArthur does) that certain difficult passages are perfectly clear, when in fact, believers continue to wrestle with alternate meanings.

I think a study Bible should point out passages that have generated disagreement... perhaps defending one viewpoint, but at least giving other views a hearing. I suspect that John MacArthur believes that there are enough even-handed study Bibles on the market already. But since MacArthur rarely seems to mention alternate interpretations, I would recommend other Study Bibles ahead of this one: my personal favorites are The Nelson Study Bible (NKJV) for a conservative viewpoint, and the New Interpreter's Study Bible (NRSV) for a more liberal point of view. Both are excellent and fairly even-handed... the Nelson being often overlooked, and perhaps the best single Study Bible around... i.e. if you can only have ONE, I think the Nelson Study Bible may be the best choice overall.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding, a true study Bible!
Review: John MacArthur has provided outstanding study helps, with: 1. the New King James Version (NKJV) text, one of the most "accurate, beautiful, and complete" bible translations; 2. 20,000 study notes! 3. comprehensive bible introduction; 4. thorough book introductions and outlines; 5. outline of basic theology; 6. 200-pg topical index; 7. bible archaeology; 8. maps; 9. comprehensive timelines; 10. book harmonies; and, many other impressive helps!

The only detraction from this otherwise outstanding study bible is the lack of a concordance. Including a concise concordance would be of immense help, and that may be something the publishers would want to include in the next edition. In any case, a truly excellent and outstanding work, and I very highly recommend it for every Christian!

Rating:
Summary: The Best study Bible published in many years!
Review: John MacArthur,known for in-depth Bible teaching, has published his finest and most enduring work. This study Bible answers most of the questions of the serious Bible student. It is loaded with charts, graphs, maps, as well an a detailed introduction to each of the 66 books of the Bible. Each page has the Biblical text as well as many (almost 25,000 in all) useful footnotes. It also contains a "Harmony of the Gospels" as well as an extensive "Topical Index" This is a must for anyone truly interested in learning what the Bible says and what it means by what it says. The MacArthur Study Bible is Scholarly,yet very readable. It is very "user Friendly." This is a wealth of information in a single volume. Some would have preferred the New American Standard (which seems to be MacArthur's preferred version) over the New King James Version. You will understand the Bible as never before with the aid of this work by one of the greatest Bible teachers of our time.

Rating:
Summary: If you're looking for a study Bible -- this is the one!
Review: The MacArthur Study Bible is by far the best study Bible on the market. I own several study Bibles (NIV Study Bible, Life Application Study Bible, Old Scofield Study Bible, Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible, Nelson's King James Study Bible, Praise and Worship Study Bible, The Comparative Study Bible, etc.). I can say, without a doubt, that the notes in the MacArthur Study Bible are the finest to be found anywhere. When studying a particular passage of scripture in various commentaries (e.g. The NIV Bible Commentary [i.e., the condensation of the Expositor's Bible Commentary], Tyndale NT Commentaries, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, and the Believer's Bible Commentary), I often find that MacArthur's treatment (in his study Bible) is more detailed!! In all cases, MacArthur reaches a sound conclusion. I have yet to find any theologically unsound teaching in this Bible. MacArthur expounds the Word the way it was meant to be expounded - with clarity, with scholarship, and with a belief in the infallibility of God's inspired Word. Everything in this Bible is top notch. In addition to the abundance of commentary, many other helps are found, e.g. a section on "How We Got The Bible," a section on "How to Study The Bible," wonderful chronological charts, a section entitled "Overview of Theology," etc., etc.. In short, the MacArthur Study Bible has everything other study Bibles (i.e., the ones mentioned above) have, plus more! Additionally, the actual page layout is quite appealing to the eye -- unlike some study Bibles. Also, the book introductions are among the best I have seen.

The New King James Version is an excellent translation. Serious students of the Bible will find the marginal manuscript variation notes invaluable!

I would give the MacArthur Study Bible an unconditionable recommendation to anyone looking for a study Bible giving a detailed treatment of the Word.