The Access Bible: New Revised Standard Version

Rating:
Summary: Great 'Access' to the Bible!!
Review: Another evangelical christian who loves this Bible! Although the introductions and notes have a liberal leaning, the amount of objective historical and cultural information is amazing. In my opinion this is not a Bible for beginners although it is much more accessible than the New Oxford Annotated or the HarperCollins. This Bible offers a unique format with commentary interspersed throughout the text rather than at the bottom of the page which helps with continuous reading. The sidebar essays are helpful and thought provoking. This Bible gives you a lot of background information but lets you think for yourself! Used alongside an evangelical study Bible such as the NIV Study Bible any reader has the best scholarship available from various perspectives. The bold, clear print that Oxford uses in this (and their other study Bibles) is easy to read and I would love it if evangelical study Bibles would follow Oxford's lead in this regard. If you want to gain better understanding of the Bible in its historical context, choose this Bible as one of your main study editions!

Rating:
Summary: A great resource for Disciple Bible Study
Review: Anyone involved in the Disciple Bible Study courses will find this Bible tracks very well with the lessons. I found that the majority of assigned readings were identical to the phrasings of this Bible. The comments provide a wonderful foundation for in-class discussion. Class facilitators would be well served with this Bible.

As for those critical of the "liberal" commentary, I would offer that this Bible incorporates recent theological, social and archeological insights. The new (1999) informaiton has been scrutinized by leading scholars and approved for Christian consumption. You will find many of the same experts who were interviewed in Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ" listed as contributors. I see these facts as a continuing affirmation of the Truth. You will find yourself better tooled to discuss your Christian world views with those who seek the comfort and guidance not available through secularism.

Rating:
Summary: Evangelical Who Thinks This Bible Is A Winner!!!
Review: The Access Bible, New Revised Standard Version (without the Apocrypha) is an interesting and informative study Bible. I come from a conservative evangelical background, so many in my camp would scoff at the NRSV Bible in and of itself. But the more I read the user friendly text, and excellent footnotes along side, I get the feeling I've just studied the Word for the first time! There is some gender neutral language in the translation that is not in-your-face. Nor does it distort the meaning of the original writers. In fact, it's far less apparent than in some other modern translations like the New Century Version. What's great about the NRSV is the readability and accuracy of the text. Plus, the magic quality of the KJV is somehow retained in this version. As for the footnotes and commentary, I've read a few other reviews regarding the "liberal" tendencies of the scholars. I must admit they take a different approach than a John MacArthur would. For instance, in Genesis they talk about the 2 creation accounts, where most scholars brush it off and move to other topics. It does cause the reader to think without losing faith in God. They give a detailed explanation as to what the ancient writers (they don't attribute Genesis all to Moses) may have been doing. Also is the B.C.E. designation (before common era) instead of B.C., before Christ. This is a politically correct terminology that minimizes the importance of Christ's life, and how it marked the beginning of the Christ era, not the Common era. But that is kind of picky. We all know Jesus' impact, and what his birth meant to the world. Also, God has no concept of time anyway. As far as the facts go, these scholars seem to get it right. There is a fantastic balance of research and scholarship as well as making it understandable for the layman. It makes the facts and stories come alive. This is what sets it apart from other study Bibles that often preach rather than teach. Granted, some Bibles should preach (i.e.-life application Bible). But if you want to study the context and history of ancient Israel, and the hows, whys and whats ofthe sacred text, than this Bible is a jewel. It's fun reading as well.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: There are many Study Bibles on the market today and the Access Bible is one of the better ones. It uses the highly respected (in academic circles and in the church) New Revised Standard Version, which blends accuracy and readability to make it the best version available. The study notes were done by a team of highly acclaimed biblical scholars from many well-respected seminaries. They represent a variety of denominations including Episcopal, United Methodist, and Roman Catholic. The notes are formulated based on the modern critical principles of biblical scholarship. The annotations are a good length and account for about 30% of the total text (just my rough estimate). There are introductions to each book, as well as boxes throughout that go into more detail on certain topics (e.g. Father-Son relationship in John). There is a glossary that includes many interesting topics of interest to those studying the Bible. The Access Bible also contains a concordance, a table of weights and measures, and maps. This edition contains the deuterocanon.