The Reformation Study Bible
Posted by Vincent Cheung on May 21, 2005(The following is an edited email correspondence.)
I do have the Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible (NIV). Is this identical to the Reformation Study Bible for the ESV?
Should I get the commentary you mentioned as well (Matthew Henry)?
The Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible was taken and "expanded" from the original The Reformation Study Bible (NKJV, formerly entitled The New Geneva Study Bible) under a different editorial staff. But I found that the "expansion" was often done by just making the same sentences more verbose. The ESV edition of The Reformation Study Bible was taken from the original and made under the same staff and general editor (Sproul). It has been adapted to the ESV.
The ESV edition of The Reformation Study Bible is probably the best, but the notes are similar in the NIV edition. The theological notes are more conveniently gathered in Packer’s Concise Theology.
You should eventually get a more detailed commentary. If you have nothing, then start with Matthew Henry, since he is quite reliable, and his commentary contains useful explanations to the text as well as some devotional applications. It is one of the best general-purpose commentaries, but for advanced studies, you will find that it is not detailed or technical enough.
Also consider IVP’s New Bible Commentary.
Recommended:
The Reformation Study Bible (ESV)
J. I. Packer, Concise Theology
New Bible Commentary (IVP)
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible
Matthew Henry is available in one volume, six volumes, abridged one-volume NIV, abridged one-volume KJV, condensed edition in a study Bible, and various "compact" editions.
I recommend the six volumes if you are going to frequently consult Matthew Henry (or if you use it to study the Bible book-by-book), or the one volume if you want to save money or space.
I do not recommend the abridged NIV, abridged KJV, or the compact editions. The Matthew Henry Study Bible, however, is not bad as a study Bible.
For the absolute beginner, it would be a great start to have The Reformation Study Bible, and then Matthew Henry in either the one volume or the six volumes edition.