The Discovery Study Bible: A Guided Exploration of Gods Word : New International Version

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Bible, nice studies included
Review: One of the unique things about this Bible is the inclusion of eight study courses for church school and small groups. The eight courses are divided into four Old Testament courses (Exploring the Pentateuch, Exploring the Historical Books, Exploring the Books of Poetry, Exploring the Books of Prophecy) and four New Testament courses (Exploring the Life of Christ, Exploring the Ministry of Christ, Exploring Paul's Letters to Churches, Exploring the Other Letters and Revelation). In addition there are 150 "Study Centers" to help you gain a deeper understanding of the passages and broaden your perspective.

Each study center has a full page dedicated to it at the location where the first verses occur. They are all similar in format and include background information, keys to understanding the most important parts of the study, assignments to complete to further your understanding, and a verse that summarizes the spiritual significance of that particular study. The study does not necessarily stay with the order of the Bible. For example, the Psalms have chapters that are related to instruction (1, 19, 119), the Reign of God (2, 72, 93, 95-100, 117, 146), the depths of despair (3, 13, 88, 130), etc. So while the study in the Psalms does not go chapter by chapter it takes the reader along a consistent theme. If, on the other hand, you have a Psalm you like and would like to investigate others that are part of that same study group then you can look at the upper right corner of the page and it indicates the appropriate study center and the page on which to locate it. This is an excellent method of Bible study which I have not seen done in this manner anywhere else.

The Discovery Study Bible uses the New International Version translation and includes many other Bible study tidbits like "Culture Clues" and "Closer Look" that are similar to other study Bibles. At the end are self tests and a dictionary where various word meanings are detailed as well as how they should be interpreted in a particular context.

An excellent study Bible, The Discovery Study Bible is a highly recommended Bible for anyone from teenagers to adults.