A lot of people have study Bibles. They are annually one of the bestselling items in Christian bookstores. It’s a shame that most people who have one use only a fraction of what it offers. The problem isn’t illiteracy. It’s negligence.
The scholars and publishers who produce study Bibles put a great deal of thought into them. They are designed to facilitate Bible study and not just to be read like a novel or a newspaper. Study Bibles have a wide range of features to help people move beyond Bible reading.
All study Bibles include introductions to each book that discuss who wrote it and why. Knowing the circumstances that prompted the writing of the book is a crucial context for framing its contents.
Many study Bibles also include essays on important topics in a book, difficult or controversial passages, or the role the book plays in the bigger theological picture of the Bible. These sorts of essays orient readers to a book’s contribution to doctrine and biblical history.
Some study Bibles employ their own system of symbols to draw the reader’s attention to further information about words. If you’re familiar with Strong’s numbers, then you’ll know that some study Bibles feature numbering systems with a concordance and brief Hebrew and Greek dictionaries to help readers get into word study.
A good study Bible will also come with “extras” like explanations of biblical chronology, timelines, a glossary for weights and measures, a history of how we got the Bible, reading plans, extended maps, charts, and—very important for Bible study—a well-conceived, detailed index.
But all these aids will be for naught unless you find them and use them. Don’t treat your study Bible like it’s a pew Bible, with nothing but the running English translation. It’s so much more.