Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: A Lutheran study bible is a great idea. This does not fill the bill, however. The editors simply took the NIV study bible and added a few hundred study notes (to the 20,000) already there. The end result is unsatisfactory. Many of the notes do not follow Lutheran theology and do not accept the inerrancy of the bible as the Missouri Synod does (the only Lutheran church that matters - the others are either small or allow homosexuality and women pastors). If you want a bible that truly is a new product and follows reformed theology (albeit with a strong Calvinist bent), get the Spirit of the Reformation study Bible. This is simply the NIV study bible with a few addends.
Rating: 
Summary: Explanation of a Must-Have Bible
Review: Amazon.com really should provide a better explanation of what this Bible is. I'll do it for them. :-)It's actually a Lutheran version (not just Missouri Synod--it's for all Lutherans, even ELCA like myself) of Zondervan's NIV Study Bible. There are quite a few study notes in Zondervan's NIV Study Bible that I didn't agree with, but this version fixes that. This is pretty much my favorite Bible. It has all the features of the NIV Study Bible, plus lots more, like quotes from Martin Luther, etc. It's a wonderful Bible, unless you're a Catholic. :-) They would do well to read it too, though. (Hey, I have two Catholic Bibles. Let's be ecumenical, people.) This Bible is an absolute must-have for all Lutherans, and would be great for any other Protestant as well. Honestly. (Also check out the New Oxford Annotated Bible.)
Rating: 
Summary: An honest Review
Review: As a Luthern Pastor, I use this bible as my main reading and study bible. It is the best bible out there for Lutherans. As a previous person noted, it has maps, extensive notes and Luther's thoughts about each book as a sort of mini preface.
The NIV is a good translation but it is definitely not a 'for Lutherans, by Lutherans' translation. On the one hand, this is good, since when we talk to other Christians we are 'on the same page' as them (I hate puns, but I couldn't resist). On the other hand, since it was not translated as a Lutheran bible, it does have some Reformed/Evangelical emphases reflected in the translation (the translation of the hapax in 1 Pet. 3:21 as 'pledge' is an example of one of these areas).
There are two areas in which this bible lacks though:
1. Not enough room in the margins for notes
2. While some of the study notes betray a distinctively lutheran perspective, there are many notes which were taken, unmodified, from the NIV self study bible. These notes have a distinctively non lutheran perspective. (The commentary on Hab. 2:4 and 1 Pet. 3:21 might be good examples. Lutherans believe that faith is a gift the Holy Spirit gives to us totally apart from our own decisions or actions through the power of God's word. The Commentary in these sections would lead one to believe that faith and Baptism are things I do for God, not things he does to me out of his grace)
Like I said at the beginning of this post, this is the best bible out there for Lutherans. Just buy it knowing the unique way in which this book was put together.
Rating:
Summary: This is the greatest grace-filled Study Bible around!
Review: Based upon the famous NIV Study Bible, the Concordia Study Bible combines the easy to read and understand translation of the NIV, the famously useful and relevant notes of the NIV Study Bible, and the Grace Filled theology of Martin Luther! The notes are written with Luther's emphasis on the absolute power of God's grace. A 153 page concordance will help you find your favorite verses. A fantastic topical guide makes themes and ideas of God's Word easy to find and learn. In text maps and notes are incredible, backed up by 14 pages of full color maps in the back. Top it all off with detailed, relevant book introductions, and you have my favorite study Bible of all time!
Rating:
Summary: From The Inside Jacket
Review: General Editor:
Robert G. Hoerber, Ph.D.
Associate Editors:
Horace D. Hummel. Ph.D.
Walter R. Roehrs. Ph.D.
Dean O. Wenthe, Th.M.,
The Concordia Self-Stydy Bible is a reference Bible with Lutheran study notes in one volume.
This self-study Bible combines the popular New International Version translation with extensive study notes that emphasize distinctive Luthern teachings. Access to the notes has been simplified by placing them on the same page as the text.
The Concordia Self-Study Bible is designed to enhance the personal study of both laypersons and pastors. A helpful gerneral introduction summarizes the Luthern understanding of Scripture. Introductions to each book provide comments and explanations, including significant quotations from Martin Luther.
-Exclusive NIV cross-reference system in center column.
-Complete outlines for every book.
-In-text maps, charts, diagrams, and illustrations.
-Parallel passages and significant corresponding passages listed under sectional subheadings.
-6 pages of full-color timelines of the Old and New Testaments.
-16 pages of full-color maps.
-Presentation page.
Rating:
Summary: From The Inside Jacket
Review: General Editor:Robert G. Hoerber, Ph.D.Associate Editors: Horace D. Hummel. Ph.D. Walter R. Roehrs. Ph.D. Dean O. Wenthe, Th.M., The Concordia Self-Stydy Bible is a reference Bible with Lutheran study notes in one volume. This self-study Bible combines the popular New International Version translation with extensive study notes that emphasize distinctive Luthern teachings. Access to the notes has been simplified by placing them on the same page as the text. The Concordia Self-Study Bible is designed to enhance the personal study of both laypersons and pastors. A helpful gerneral introduction summarizes the Luthern understanding of Scripture. Introductions to each book provide comments and explanations, including significant quotations from Martin Luther. -Exclusive NIV cross-reference system in center column. -Complete outlines for every book. -In-text maps, charts, diagrams, and illustrations. -Parallel passages and significant corresponding passages listed under sectional subheadings. -6 pages of full-color timelines of the Old and New Testaments. -16 pages of full-color maps. -Presentation page.
Rating:
Summary: This is a decent study bible from a lutheran perspective
Review: I am writing this from a Catholic perspective. This Bible is not bad. It is an interesting idea to take a popular evangelical study bible and adapt it to Lutheran usage. On the whole, it is still essentially the NIV Study Bible. A Catholic can use this Bible to gain some insight into Lutheran exegesis of scripture. The notes are very well laid out and the essays on the Lutheran perspective on Scripture are helpful. On the other hand, as with the NIV Study Bible, this Bible does not engage in serious dialogue with the best of current ecumenical scholarship and the text of the NIV, while a fairly good translation, suffers from some conservative evangelical bias in some places. I would suggest that Lutheran and evangelical readers use the New Oxford Annotated Bible (Revised Standard Version, 1977) and the New Jerusalem Bible as well. For Catholic and Orthodox readers, I would purchase an inexpensive paperback copy of the NIV Study Bible instead of the Concordia Self Study Bible, primarily because one would use this Bible only to consult the evangelical interpretation and places where the Concordia Self Study Bible disagree with the NIV study bible notes are usually places where Lutherans are in agreement with Catholics and Orthodox (for example the Real Presence of Christ's Body and Blood in the Lord's Supper and Baptismal regeneration). It would be more helpful to get a complete contrast with the Catholic position by using the NIV Study Bible to get the nonsacramental read.
Rating:
Summary: Great Bible
Review: I notice another reviewer recommended the New Oxford Annotated Bible. I already had that one, so I can say that the introductions, notes, and other study aids of the Concordia Self-Study Bible are much more in-depth. Even without the Aprocrypha, it's noticably larger. Modifications from the original NIV Study Bible are clearly marked, so I would recommend this for any Protestant, not just Lutherans. I do, however, wish they included the apocrypha in this Bible (as did Luther in his own translation).
Rating:
Summary: Worth the money if you're a Lutheran NIV user, but...
Review: I'll start off by saying that for Lutherans (or me, a nondenominational Protestant and former Missouri Synod Lutheran) who want a "scholarly" Bible with plenty of study aids, this is an excellent Bible. The NIV version is perhaps the best overall version when it comes to combining clarity of thought with faithfulness to the original texts. This Bible is loaded with plenty of center-column cross-references! It also has many helpful charts, maps, and timelines to aid study and increase understanding. The page margins are plenty wide for notetaking. A decent index and one of the most thorough back-of-the-book concordances are a huge plus! (I still recommend buying the Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance, though.) The notes are pretty good, too, althought sometimes they seem to restate the obvious. Introductions to each book are great, including Martin Luther's notes on each book and how the theme of God's grace is in each book. This is essentially a slightly older version of the Zondervan NIV Study Bible, quite a nice Bible in itself. Now for the cons...The Missouri Synod never intended for the NIV to become the de facto Bible of choice. It has now adopted the English Standard Version (ESV) as its officially recommended translation. Although the NIV is perhaps a bit better in thought-for-thought expression, the ESV is readable and is a literal translation with much greater fidelity to the original manuscripts, which I believe is important in a "study" Bible. I believe we will see much wider use of the ESV in the years to come. The ESV also supports Lutheran sacramental doctrine better than the NIV. That said, though, I believe it's never right to use study notes that confer a denominational bias, as the Concordia Self-Study Bible does. The notes can even go so far as to say that Psalm 67:5 applies to the sacraments of baptism and communion, and that Lutherans are the only ones who correctly apply this! I also think that some more application-based notes, such as those found in the regular Zondervan NIV Study Bible, would be helpful. It would also be nice to have a slightly larger and/or bolder typeface. Overall an excellent Bible for someone who wants an easily readable one for reading, memorization, and study, without buying separate concordances and commentaries.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the money if you're a Lutheran NIV user, but...
Review: I'll start off by saying that for Lutherans (or me, a nondenominational Protestant and former Missouri Synod Lutheran) who want a "scholarly" Bible with plenty of study aids, this is an excellent Bible. The NIV version is perhaps the best overall version when it comes to combining clarity of thought with faithfulness to the original texts. This Bible is loaded with plenty of center-column cross-references! It also has many helpful charts, maps, and timelines to aid study and increase understanding. The page margins are plenty wide for notetaking. A decent index and one of the most thorough back-of-the-book concordances are a huge plus! (I still recommend buying the Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance, though.) The notes are pretty good, too, althought sometimes they seem to restate the obvious. Introductions to each book are great, including Martin Luther's notes on each book and how the theme of God's grace is in each book. This is essentially a slightly older version of the Zondervan NIV Study Bible, quite a nice Bible in itself. Now for the cons...The Missouri Synod never intended for the NIV to become the de facto Bible of choice. It has now adopted the English Standard Version (ESV) as its officially recommended translation. Although the NIV is perhaps a bit better in thought-for-thought expression, the ESV is readable and is a literal translation with much greater fidelity to the original manuscripts, which I believe is important in a "study" Bible. I believe we will see much wider use of the ESV in the years to come. The ESV also supports Lutheran sacramental doctrine better than the NIV. That said, though, I believe it's never right to use study notes that confer a denominational bias, as the Concordia Self-Study Bible does. The notes can even go so far as to say that Psalm 67:5 applies to the sacraments of baptism and communion, and that Lutherans are the only ones who correctly apply this! I also think that some more application-based notes, such as those found in the regular Zondervan NIV Study Bible, would be helpful. It would also be nice to have a slightly larger and/or bolder typeface. Overall an excellent Bible for someone who wants an easily readable one for reading, memorization, and study, without buying separate concordances and commentaries.
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