First sentence: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Premise/plot: God created the heaven and the earth, and, everything he created was very good. But then the serpent in the Garden of Eden started singing "Trust in Me" (from the Jungle Book) and everything went WRONG because Eve ate the apple. God being a good God and a merciful God provided a way to restore his creation, that way--the only way, the only truth, the only life--was revealed more clearly in the New Testament.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.The same was in the beginning with God.All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.In him was life; and the life was the light of men.And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.He came unto his own, and his own received him not.But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-14)
The whole Bible--both Old and New Testament--reveals who God is and who we are. It tells of who we are apart from Christ, and who we are in Christ. It speaks of a just, holy, uncompromising, never-changing God who is kind, compassionate, merciful, faithful and good. The Spirit of God enlightens and teaches us through the Word. Apart from the Spirit, there is no true knowledge of God.
My thoughts: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this Bible so much.
Favorite quotes:
- Truth and love are closely related to each other. What are the consequences of having truth without love? Love without truth? What does it mean to love someone “in the truth” (v. 1)? How can we improve the balance of truth and love in our relationships at home, at church, at school, and in society? KJV Reformation Bible, 2 John 1
- The Bible is a book like no other, for it is the Word of God. Therefore, every word is faithful and true. To believe and obey the Bible is the path of blessing. It stands unique in its authority, and we must never place any human tradition or philosophy on equal standing with it, or set aside any part of it because it offends our way of thinking. How does a Christian show with his life that he has received the Bible as the Word of God? The great theme of Scripture is the Lord Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man. His grace is the only salvation for sinners. His death like a lamb for the sins of His people is the only righteousness fallen men can have before God. His resurrection and future coming are the only hope of the world. God’s Son will bring His people into happiness beyond their greatest expectations, for He will bring them into the eternal enjoyment of infinite good: the triune God. All three of the primary Christian graces—faith, hope, and love—focus upon Jesus Christ. Do you trust, hope in, and love God’s Son? If not, call out to God even now to save you. If you do know Christ and His salvation, then use each day to seek grace to grow deeper in faith, hope, and love for Christ, as you prepare for the day of the Lord. KJV Reformation Bible, Revelation 22
- The glory that shines in all the delights of heaven is the glory of God in Christ. The Lord is the sweetness, beauty, pleasure, and treasure of His kingdom. Heaven holds nothing for those who do not love God for His own sake. Those who do not delight in the Lord and holiness would be repulsed by heaven if they could go there. Do you love Jesus Christ and His holiness? What are some signs of a true love for God that can assure believers that God is preparing them for eternity with Him? KJV Reformation Bible, Revelation 21
- Worship and missions are intimately related. Missions aim to see God create new worshipers, while worship declares God’s worthiness of the praises of all people. Ironically, sometimes people set the two against each other: one group in the church promotes worship and neglects evangelism, while another group does the opposite. Why can we never be faithful worshipers without missions? Why must missions be grounded in worship? KJV Reformation Bible, Revelation 15
- The Bible is a bittersweet book for believers. On the one hand, its righteous laws and trustworthy promises are sweeter than honey to those who receive them. On the other hand, it calls us into the bitterness of loneliness and persecution in the world. How are you experiencing the sweetness of the Word in your life? Its bitterness? KJV Reformation, Revelation 10
- The conflict between the church and the world boils down to this: “Who or what will you worship?” This is the great question of Revelation. What does this chapter teach us about what it means to worship God, and what motivates the worship of God? KJV Reformation, Revelation 4
- The Lord Jesus is stunningly glorious. John knew Jesus and talked with Him after His resurrection, but even a symbolic vision of Christ’s glory put John on the ground. What about Christ fills you with awe? What about Christ comforts you? KJV Reformation Bible, Revelation 1
- It is not a kindness in our preaching to the unconverted, to keep from them the fearful reality of hell, with its “flaming fire” (v. 8) and its “everlasting destruction” (v. 9). Pray for preachers that they would boldly preach both law and gospel, both hell and heaven. KJV Reformation Bible, 2 Thessalonians 1
- Let us never assume that it is worthless to speak God’s Word to a group of sinners, no matter what their reputation. They may put us to shame with how they respond. Where are you tempted to think that it is not worth sharing God’s Word? KJV Reformation Bible, 2 Chronicles 28
- Treasure the Word of God in the fear of God. One man speaking God’s truth is worth more than 400 men telling us what we want to hear. Thank God for faithful ministers who refuse to speak anything except God’s Word. The Word of the Lord proves true because it is backed by the providence of God. When God threatens death on an unrepentant sinner, be sure it will come, even if by a random shot by an archer. How then should we respond when God’s Word says hard things against us and our sin? KJV Reformation Bible, 2 Chronicles 18
- We have all descended from one man: Adam. The existence of Adam was as much history as the existence of David. In Adam, we were all made in God’s image and likeness. God’s purpose for His people therefore remains to fill the earth with His living image. In Adam, we all sinned and have fallen into spiritual corruption and enduring misery. We all share the same fallen nature as the Canaanites. We all die and face judgment, and human life is so transient that from God’s perspective all the generations from Adam to Israel fit on a single page of history. God’s people consequently must be redeemed by the Lord’s grace if they will ever achieve their high calling and eternal life. Mankind needs a new Adam. How has God met that need in Christ? KJV Reformation Bible, 1 Chronicles 1
- The opening statement of Nah. 2:13 is fearful: “I am against thee, saith the Lord.” For God to be the enemy spells doom and damnation. But this is the state of every individual outside of Christ. To be outside of Christ is to be under condemnation and subject to God’s severe wrath. To be in Christ changes everything. The believer is united to Christ and enjoys security and peace. The consequence is that God is now for us instead of against us. And the consequence of that is, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31). KJV Reformation Bible, Nahum 2
The strengths of the KJV Reformation Bible
- King James Version (I happen to love the KJV)
- Black Letter, NOT red letter (I think I squealed when I saw it was black letter!!!)
- Has thorough book introductions for all 66 books of the Bible
- Has introductions to different sections of Scripture (introduction to the Pentateuch, introduction to the historical books, introduction to the poetic and wisdom books, introduction to the prophetic books, introduction to the gospels and Acts, introduction to the epistles)
- Has thousands of study notes; some notes are just clarifying the vocabulary of the King James Version; others are genuine study notes. All the notes are from the Reformed theological position.
- Includes within the notes, "Thoughts for Personal/Family Worship" for each and every chapter of the Bible.
- Has 50+ in-text articles covering seven key doctrines (the doctrine of God, the doctrine of creation, the doctrine of sin, the doctrine of Christ, the doctrine of salvation, the doctrine of the church, and the doctrine of last things). Some of these in-text articles are excerpts from Puritans.
- Double column
- Has a daily Bible Reading Plan (M'Cheyne's Reading Plan)
- Has an extensive study helps section at the back of the Bible (when I say extensive, I mean extensive*)
- Has a dozen color maps
- Has a concordance
How To Live As A Christian
- Coming to Christ
- United with Christ
- Experiencing Justification and Adoption
- Growing in Sanctification
- Assured and Persevering
- Reading the Scriptures
- Why and How We Pray
- Worship and the Means of Grace
- Fellowship with Believers
- How We Regard Ourselves
- Love to God
- The Fear of God
- Living by the Ten Commandments
- Godly Contentment
- Self-Denial
- Humility
- How We Kill Pride
- Coping with Criticism
- Enduring Affliction
- Spiritual Desertion
- Fleeing Worldliness
- Fighting Against Backsliding
- Family Worship
- Being A Christ-Like Husband
- Being a Godly Wife
- Showing Hospitality
- Raising Children in the Lord
- Being a Christian Grandparent
- Honoring Your Parents
- Serving God at Work
- Using Leisure Time Well
- Witnessing for Christ
- Defending Our Faith
- Facing Sickness and Death
- Living Positively
- Living for God's Glory
- First Century: Apostolic Foundations
- Second Century: The Church of Martyrs and Confessors
- Third Century: Persecution and Heresy; Origen and Tertullian
- Fourth Century: Beginnings of the Christian Empire
- Fifth Century: City of God and City of Man
- Sixth Century: Justinian, Benedict, and the Conversion of the Scots
- Seventh Century: Gregory the Great and the Rise of Islam
- Eighth Century: The Iconoclastic Controversy
- Ninth Century: Struggle for Power in the Church; Ratramnus and Gottschalk
- Tenth Century: "The Dark Ages"
- Eleventh Century: The Great Schism; Anselm of Canterbury
- Twelfth Century: The Crusades, Abelard, Lombard, and the Waldenses
- Thirteenth Century: Francis of Assisi and Thomas Aquinas
- Fourteenth Century: The Church's Babylonian Captivity and John Wycliffe
- Fifteenth Century: The Renaissance, Huss, Savonarola, and Groote
- Sixteenth Century: Luther, Calvin, and the Reformation
- Seventeenth Century: Reforming the Church in England
- Eighteenth Century: The Great Awakening
- Nineteenth Century: Beginnings of Modern Theology and Kingdom Builders
- Twentieth Century: Age of Paradoxes
- Apostles' Creed
- Nicene Creed
- Athanasian Creed
- Belgic Confession
- Heidelberg Catechism
- Canons of Dort
- Westminster Confession
- Westminster Shorter Catechism
- Westminster Larger Catechism
The weaknesses of the KJV Reformation Study Bible
- Overall the text size is small. The text of the Bible itself is manageable. But the notes are definitely on the too-small-for-comfort size. But the notes were so good, I deemed it worth the squint.
- The layout of the Bible is verse, verse, verse. It is not in paragraph format.
- There are no subject headings in the text of the Bible. There are subject headings in the notes. So if you're looking for something specific, look in the notes of the chapter you think it might be in. Or else check out the book outline in the introduction of the book.
© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible
1 comment:
It made me so happy to come across someone who reads the Bible as much as you do. I myself read it through many times throughout the year. I usually read the ESV, KJV, NKJV, and now the LSB. The ESV is such easy reading. I start the year with it and finish the year with it. I like Joel Beeke’s Reformation Bible too. My preference in a Bible is Paragraph format without Red letter. I do like seeing the poetry sections in verse format.
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