Rating: 
Summary: Make this book part of your life
Review: This bible has really changed my life.. really. I could never get into a biblical text like this one. It is easy to read, and does a great job of explaining itself and the meaning of each passage for our lives. People complain about the Bible being difficult to understand, not applying to them, etc... I want them to READ THIS BOOK. It will strenghten your life .. better than any self-help book on the market.
Rating:
Summary: Make this book part of your life
Review: This bible has really changed my life.. really. I could never get into a biblical text like this one. It is easy to read, and does a great job of explaining itself and the meaning of each passage for our lives. People complain about the Bible being difficult to understand, not applying to them, etc... I want them to READ THIS BOOK. It will strenghten your life .. better than any self-help book on the market.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Good for People Just Starting to Read the Bible
Review: This Bible is the easiest to read that you'll find, except for those designed for children. It very successfully conveys what scholars believe the original authors intended. It is dignified and a pleasure to read. In fact it is hard to put down. Do not hesitate to buy it and read it, especially if you are new to reading the Bible.
The Life Application notes are the best to be found in any study Bible. They are truly helpful for a growing Christian, unlike some other "study bibles".
However, there are some things to keep in mind, in regard to the NLT translation itself.
1) The "gender inclusive" language subtly modifies the meaning of some passages when singular "he" is changed to something like "those". This makes it sound like Jesus may be talking to the church as a whole instead of each individual. This is an incorrect change to what God meant. Surely the intent of the translators is not to be deceitful, but it unfortunately is deceitful. But, this is not a severe issue for a beginning Bible reader.
2) Because of the "word for word" translation style and because of the gender inclusive language, you cannot tell how much or which parts are really the words of God and which parts are the words of the translators. This likely only becomes a problem for people as the get more serious about what the exact words that God used were. As you get more serious about reading the Bible I would recommend having a more literal translation such as the New King James Version (NKJV) or the New American Standard Bible (NASB) to compare with. But, you don't need to give up the NLT altogether as it sometimes clarifies what is hard to understand in the literal versions.
3) It is possible that there could be errors in what the translators thought was meant by a particular passage and what God actually meant. Since it is a thought for thought translation and not a word for word, you're depending on the translators to know exactly what God was thinking when he inspired the words. In some cases there could be multiple possible meanings but the NLT can only choose one. However, the translations given are based on traditional interpretations that have been well understood for many years. So, I believe this is a reasonable compromise to get the meaning of the Bible into the minds of people who would give up on the Bible if they had to deal with a more literal, harder to understand, version.
4) The NLT is not the best version to use for memorizing verses, since it is so far from a literal translation. Would you rather recite "Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God" (NLT) or "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain," (NKJV) which is stronger, more formal, more traditional, and more like what God actually said.
You might also want to consider the Application Study Bible with the NIV or NKJV texts.
Rating:
Summary: Life Application Study Bible, New Living Translation
Review: This by far is the best Bible that I have ever worked with. It has brought such insight to what the true Word of God is. It is so awesome to read this Bible and then study the guide and be able to put it into use in your everyday walk with God. I have given this Bible as gifts to friends who have said they never have time to read the Bible and now they find the time on a daily basis. I am purchasing this Bible today for a cousin who is currently serving time in prison and he has been trying to understand a Bible that he found there, it must be a King James version, he is very hungry for the Word and wants to better understand it so we just know that this Bible will be a God send for him.
Rating:
Summary: Big improvement
Review: This is a big improvement over the Living Bible translation. I enjoy using several translations to compare with, but the amount of notes, personality profiles, and maps are some of the best ever.
Rating:
Summary: Life Application Study Bible
Review: This is the best Bible I have read and the best Bible I have owned. It is so easy to read and understand because its written in plain English. I love the statistics, the blueprint, the megathemes as well as the key places described at the beginning of each book in the Bible -- it adds so much clarity to the theme of each book. The profiles of the people in the Bible are great; they help me understand who was whom and what their role was. The notes at the bottom of each page add so much clarity to the scriptures on each page. I can't say enough good things about this book!I wholeheartedly recommend this book to every new Christian or to anyone who just wants to learn what the Bible is really about -- it "speaks" clearly, especially to those who know nothing about the Bible, but want to know. I find it very hard to stop reading it; it simply wants to keep on talking to me! This book has helped me tremendously in my quest for information, both for personal use and for academic references. Simply the GREATEST book I've read!
Rating:
Summary: A very personal testimony
Review: This study bible has transformed my life. I knew nothing of Christ before I received it as a gift from my loving and faithful wife. I grew up in a non-spiritual, mixed religion household. I was not schooled in Christianity, in fact I had only attended three church services in my life, and one of them was my wedding...yet one bible translation changed everything.There will always be detractors of a translation. I am not a scholar and cannot speak to the accuracy of language. I had browsed through King James and the New International throughout my life, both nothing as more than a curiosity. But as I read this translation and the study text, I was both humbled and elated as I experienced a true awakening to Christianity. Those that praise this book are correct. It is a fantastic work that I read daily, as if were a novel revealing its mysteries to me. The debates can continue about this translation...I will sit back with my study bible and reap the ultimate reward.
Rating:
Summary: At last a Bible without guile
Review: To often I have picked up a quote "modern translation" and been disappointed, often the translation is with bias. I picked up the life application edition on a whim and have not left it get lonely since. It is a user friendly.
Rating:
Summary: At last a Bible without guile
Review: To often I have picked up a quote "modern translation" and been disappointed, often the translation is with bias. I picked up the life application edition on a whim and have not left it get lonely since. It is a user friendly.
Rating:
Summary: EXCEPTIONAL EDITION. WHY ISN'T IT AVAILABLE IN LARGE PRINT?
Review: WE LOVE THIS EDITION OF THE BIBLE AND HAVE USED IT FOR SOME TIME IN OUR BIBLE STUDY CLASSES. HOWEVER WE WOULD LIKE TO GET IT IN THE LARGE TYPE. SO FAR NONE OF OUR BOOK STORES HAVE ANY LISTING FOR THE LARGE PRINT EDITION(?)
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