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For almost 15 years, The Open Bible has set a high standard for study Bibles. Its acceptance has been phenomenal, as witnessed by the approximately five million copies that have been sold. Since its first publication in 1983, Thomas Nelson Publishers has revised it three times and recently released the new fourth edition with study notes.
This edition deserves attention for several reasons. First of all, it's 25 percent larger with a total of 4500 new study notes. It has an all-new page design with larger type which makes it very readable.
Following introductory pieces on How to Use the Open Bible and How to Study the Bible comes an article that gives us the evangelical thrust of this edition: The Christian's Guide to the New Life. A study of basic Bible doctrine in outline form, it leads readers to the biblical texts that support the role of God's Word for our lives and give an explication of the new life in Christ. It also emphasizes recognizing our place in relation to the family, government, and the Church.
Two other features set this Bible apart: the new "Biblical Cyclopedic Index" at the front and the "Visual Survey of the Bible" between the Old and New Testaments. The Cyclopedic Index with more than 300 word studies is very useful because it gives the biblical reference and the page number for each reference. The Visual Survey, a 24-page graphic history of Israel and the Early Church, can answer quickly many questions that Bible students have.
You can study the Bible your whole life with this edition, and that's not a bad idea!
Haskell Simpson is a longtime Bible scholar in Laredo, TX.
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