Glad someone else is still holding on to the ASV. Big fan.

__________________
Paul Korte
OPC
Flint, MI

They who perceive in themselves discoveries of the divine goodness, so full and absolutely perfect, and who make them the subject of earnest meditation, will never embrace new doctrines, by which the very grace they feel so powerfully in themselves is thrown into the shade. --John Calvin

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

I think there is only one publisher left that does the ASV, Star, I think it's called, not sure about the quality (of the Bible not the text).

__________________
Jon Lake
Whitehouse,Texas/ Member: Good Shepherd (REC)

I am voting HCSB just to give it a boost. I use the ESV but I have been using a lot more of the HCSB. The HCSB is gutsy (as Mounce said it is the only translation that gets John 3:16 right!), and with the superb amount of translational foot notes (about 3x the ESV) it is a great study resource. It is multi denominational (19 different denominations involved) and for the most part a bridge between the NIV and NASB. The readability is much smoother I find than the ESV. Give it a try.

__________________
Matthew Morales (Husband to Rachel)
Redeemer Presbyterian Church (Santa Rosa, CA)

"...But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." Isaiah 66:2b (ESV)

"Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face"-William Cowper

I have a hardcover NT, I may "play" with reading it a while.

That's the similar problem with the NKJV. I like it very much, and preached from it for several years. But when we were deciding on a new translation for our church, I did not think it wise to choose the NKJV, pretty much because only Nelson publishes them, and they make shoddy Bibles (I went through 4 in 5 years). There are also almost no study Bible resources in NKJV, which I could recommend to the congregation.

For that reason we switched to the ESV.

__________________
Fred Greco
Senior Pastor, Christ Church PCA (Katy, TX)
Christ Church Blog

"The heart is the main thing in true religion...It is the hinge and turning-point in the condition of man's soul. If the heart is alive to God and quickened by the Spirit, the man is a living Christian. If the heart is dead and has not the Spirit, the man is dead before God." (J.C. Ryle)

I find the NASB to be very readable, but very difficult to read aloud fluidly. I also have this to a lesser degree with the ESV. Maybe it's my relative lack of education in terms of oral communication compared to generations past, but I stil butcher it badly

NIV and KJV are straightforward for me to read aloud. The NKJV's not too bad on this count.

__________________
Scott - Dallas, Texas - Faith OPC

"It is not what a lawyer tells me I may do; but what humanity, reason, and justice tell me I ought to do." - Edmund Burke

Kjv

__________________
In Essentials Unity, in non-Essentials Liberty, in all things Charity.

Robert Paul Wieland
Springs Reformed Presbyterian Church
Colorado Springs, CO RPCNA
Student at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh PA
Never be afraid to do something new. Remember, amateurs built the Ark, but professionals built the Titanic.

I think it's interesting that, with the advent of the NIV, CET, NLT, etc., in recent years that the old RSV (first published in 1952), which was practically called the Commie Bible back in the day, is now considered to be one of the more conservative Bible translations. Interesting how perceptions change...

__________________
Richard T. Zuelch, M.Div
Ruling Elder, OPC (not currently serving)
Westminster Presbyterian Church, CA (OPC)
www.alexandermaclaren.wordpress.com
www.reiterations.wordpress.com
www.spurgeonswords.wordpress.com

Devout souls do not take offence at the depths and difficulties of God's Word, but are, thereby, drawn to intenser contemplation of them. - Alexander Maclaren (1826-1910)

I would have said NKJV, but if you are a long-term NIV user, the ESV is a vast improvement in terms of literal translation, and you will probably transition a lot more easily.

__________________
Jonathan Hunt

Elder holding forth the word of life at:
Cheltenham Evangelical Free Church (Confessionally Based)
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

Logic is a systematic method of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence.
-- Thomas Elsworth

NASB is my hands down favorite, likely because it was used in the pulpit where I attended as a baby believer. As I've mentioned in other places, the ESV just sounds tortured to me -- it was used on a trial basis for a while at my church and is the standard text for a sister church -- it just sounds overly wordy and awkward.

__________________
JWithnell
Member Bethel OPC
Virginia
http://learningyesican.blogspot.com/

Ditto

__________________
junior
Deacon
First Baptist Church of Richland Hills, Texas
Owning the 1677 Baptist Confession of Faith, 1680 Orthodox Catechism, & 1693 Baptist Catechism

1599 Geneva Bible- First and foremost.
King James Version- Second option.

I was raised on KJV. I was introduced to the 1599 Geneva Bible like 5 months ago.. I now have two of them and I am finding hard to go back to KJV. Also, the translators of the 1599 Geneva Bible were dedicated to Sola Scriptura.. I trust them more than the different guys King Jimmy appointed to translate his Authorized Version.

Most of all, the notes and commentary.. wow.

1599 Geneva Bible Restoration Project

__________________
Jym Evans Iakobos 1071
Member: Reformation Presbyterian Church
Location: San Marcos, TX
------------
Bill Mencarow's Sermons
Still Water Revival Books

KJV from Cambridge. Geneva Bible 1599. For one with notes
Dutch Annotations on Holy Scripture. Heritage books sells it. KJV will be the easiest for memorization.

__________________
Chris Thomas | SBC-Founders | Fairbanks, AK

"Whatever the cause, the Calvinists were the only fighting Protestants. It was they whose faith gave them courage to stand up for the Reformation. In England, Scotland, France, Holland, they,... did the work, and but for them the Reformation would have been crushed... If it had not been for Calvinists,... and whatever you like to call them, the Pope and Philip would have won, and we should either be Papists or Socialists." ~ Sir John Skelton

I love the ESV. The two mission churches that overseen by my session are both ESV churches and it is awesome.

-----Added 12/24/2008 at 03:00:18 EST-----

Take a look at this list of contributors to the ESV:

Editorial Oversight Committee

The following people comprise the Editorial Oversight Committee, which developed the concept, selected the contributors, and provided general oversight and final approval of the ESV Study Bible content and design.

Executive Editor

Lane T. Dennis

Crossway Books and Bibles

Ph.D., Northwestern University

General Editor

Wayne Grudem

Phoenix Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Cambridge

Theological Editor

J. I. Packer

Regent College (Canada)

D.Phil., The University of Oxford

Old Testament Editor

C. John Collins

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Liverpool

New Testament Editor

Thomas R. Schreiner

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary

Project Director, Managing Editor

Justin Taylor

Crossway Books and Bibles

B.A., The University of Northern Iowa
Study Note Contributors

The following people were responsible for writing the ESV Study Bible notes, as indicated below for each book of the Bible. In many cases more than one person contributed to the writing of the notes for specific books, and the notes for each of the books involved many levels of review and editing. The final notes as they appear in the ESV Study Bible, therefore, are the result of a collaborative effort, and in some cases may include content or views differing from those of individual contributors.

Genesis

T. Desmond Alexander

Union Theological College (Belfast)

Ph.D., The Queen's University of Belfast

Exodus

Kenneth Laing Harris

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Liverpool

Leviticus

John Currid

Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte)

Ph.D., The University of Chicago

Nobuyoshi Kiuchi

Tokyo Christian University

Ph.D., Council for National Academic Awards (UK)

Jay A. Sklar

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Gloucestershire

Numbers

Gordon J. Wenham

Trinity Theological College (Bristol)

Ph.D., King's College, The University of London

Deuteronomy

Paul Barker

Holy Trinity Doncaster (Australia)

Ph.D., The University of Gloucestershire

Joshua

V. Philips Long

Regent College (Canada)

Ph.D., The University of Cambridge

Judges

David M. Howard Jr.

Bethel Seminary (St. Paul)

Ph.D., The University of Michigan

Ruth

Ronald Bergey

Faculté Libre de Théologie Réformée (France)

Ph.D., Dropsie University

1 and 2 Samuel

David Toshio Tsumura

Japan Bible Seminary (Tokyo)

Ph.D., Brandeis University

1 and 2 Kings

Iain W. Provan

Regent College (Canada)

Ph.D., The University of Cambridge

1 and 2 Chronicles

Brian E. Kelly

Canterbury Christ Church University (England)

Ph.D., The University of Bristol

Ezra

J. Gordon McConville

The University of Gloucestershire

Ph.D., The University of Sheffield

Nehemiah

J. Gordon McConville

The University of Gloucestershire

Ph.D., The University of Sheffield

Esther

Barry G. Webb

Moore Theological College (Australia)

Ph.D., The University of Sheffield

Job

Kenneth Laing Harris

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Liverpool

August Konkel

Providence College and Seminary (Manitoba)

Ph.D., Westminster Theological Seminary

Psalms

C. John Collins

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Liverpool

Proverbs

Duane A. Garrett

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Baylor University

Kenneth Laing Harris

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Liverpool

Ecclesiastes

Max F. Rogland

Erskine Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Leiden University

Song of Solomon

C. John Collins

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Liverpool

Andrew Stewart

M.A., Covenant Theological Seminary

Isaiah

Raymond C. Ortlund Jr.

Immanuel Church (Nashville)

Ph.D., The University of Aberdeen

Jeremiah

Paul R. House

Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

Ph.D., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Lamentations

Paul R. House

Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

Ph.D., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ezekiel

David J. Reimer

The University of Edinburgh

D.Phil., The University of Oxford

Daniel

Iain M. Duguid

Grove City College

Ph.D., The University of Cambridge

Paul D. Wegner

Phoenix Seminary

Ph.D., King's College, The University of London

Hosea

Robert I. Vasholz

Covenant Theological Seminary

Th.D., The University of Stellenbosch

Joel

W. Brian Aucker

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Edinburgh

Amos

John Oswalt

Wesley Biblical Seminary

Ph.D., Brandeis University

Obadiah

Paul R. Raabe

Concordia Theological Seminary (St. Louis)

Ph.D., The University of Michigan

Jonah

Mark D. Futato

Reformed Theological Seminary (Orlando)

Ph.D., The Catholic University of America

Micah

W. Brian Aucker

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Edinburgh

Dennis R. Magary

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Ph.D., The University of Wisconsin at Madison

Nahum

Walter A. Maier III

Concordia Theological Seminary (Ft. Wayne)

Ph.D., Harvard University

Habakkuk

Paul D. Wegner

Phoenix Seminary

Ph.D., King's College, The University of London

Zephaniah

David W. Baker

Ashland Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of London

Haggai

W. Brian Aucker

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Edinburgh

Zechariah

Iain M. Duguid

Grove City College

Ph.D., The University of Cambridge

Malachi

Gordon P. Hugenberger

Park Street Church (Boston)

Ph.D., C.N.A.A., College of St. Paul and Mary/Oxford Centre for Postgraduate Hebrew Studies

Matthew

Michael J. Wilkins

Talbot School of Theology, Biola University

Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary

Mark

Hans F. Bayer

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Aberdeen

Luke

Wayne Grudem

Phoenix Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Cambridge

Thomas R. Schreiner

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary

John

Andreas J. Köstenberger

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Acts

John B. Polhill

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Romans

Thomas R. Schreiner

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary

1 Corinthians

Frank S. Thielman

Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

Ph.D., Duke University

2 Corinthians

Scott J. Hafemann

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

D.Theol., Eberhard-Karls-Universitat Tübingen

Galatians

Simon J. Gathercole

The University of Cambridge

Ph.D., The University of Durham

Ephesians

S. M. Baugh

Westminster Seminary California

Ph.D., The University of California, Irvine

Philippians

Sean M. McDonough

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of St. Andrews

Colossians

Clinton E. Arnold

Talbot School of Theology, Biola University

Ph.D., The University of Aberdeen

1 and 2 Thessalonians

Colin Nicholl

Research scholar

Ph.D., The University of Cambridge

1 and 2 Timothy

Ray Van Neste

Union University

Ph.D., The University of Aberdeen

Titus

Ray Van Neste

Union University

Ph.D., The University of Aberdeen

Philemon

Clinton E. Arnold

Talbot School of Theology, Biola University

Ph.D., The University of Aberdeen

Hebrews

David W. Chapman

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Cambridge

James

Grant R. Osborne

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Ph.D., The University of Aberdeen

1 Peter

Thomas R. Schreiner

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary

2 Peter

Doug Oss

Assemblies of God Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Westminster Theological Seminary

Thomas R. Schreiner

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary

1, 2, and 3 John

Robert W. Yarbrough

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Ph.D., The University of Aberdeen

Jude

Doug Oss

Assemblies of God Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Westminster Theological Seminary

Thomas R. Schreiner

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary

Revelation

Dennis E. Johnson

Westminster Seminary California

Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary
Article Contributors

The following articles are included in the ESV Study Bible, written by the person(s) indicated after the title of each article.

Introduction: A User's Guide to the ESV Study Bible

Lane T. Dennis

Crossway Books and Bibles

Ph.D., Northwestern University

Wayne Grudem

Phoenix Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Cambridge

Overview of the Bible: A Survey of the History of Salvation

Vern S. Poythress

Westminster Theological Seminary

D.Theol., The University of Stellenbosch

The Theology of the Old Testament

C. John Collins

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Liverpool

Introduction to the Pentateuch

Gordon J. Wenham

Trinity Theological College (Bristol)

Ph.D., King's College, The University of London

Introduction to the Historical Books

David M. Howard Jr.

Bethel Seminary (St. Paul)

Ph.D., The University of Michigan

Introduction to the Poetic and Wisdom Literature

David J. Reimer

The University of Edinburgh

D.Phil., The University of Oxford

Introduction to the Prophetic Books

Paul R. House

Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

Ph.D., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

The Time between the Testaments

J. Julius Scott Jr.

Wheaton College, retired

Ph.D., The University of Manchester

The Roman Empire and the Greco-Roman World at the Time of the New Testament

David W. Chapman

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Cambridge

Jewish Groups at the Time of the New Testament

John C. DelHousaye

Phoenix Seminary

Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary

The Theology of the New Testament

Thomas R. Schreiner

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary

Reading the Gospels and Acts

Darrell L. Bock

Dallas Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Aberdeen

Reading the Epistles

Thomas R. Schreiner

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary

God's Plan of Salvation

Mark Dever

Capitol Hill Baptist Church (Washington)

Ph.D., The University of Cambridge

An Overview of Biblical Doctrine (13 Articles)

Erik Thoennes

Talbot Theological Seminary, Biola University

Ph.D., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

An Overview of Biblical Ethics (13 Articles)

Wayne Grudem

Phoenix Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Cambridge

Daniel R. Heimbach

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Drew University

C. Ben Mitchell

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Ph.D., The University of Tennessee

Craig Mitchell

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Interpreting the Bible: An Introduction

Daniel Doriani

Central Presbyterian Church (St. Louis)

Ph.D., Westminster Theological Seminary

Interpreting the Bible: A Historical Overview

John Hannah

Dallas Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Texas at Dallas

Reading the Bible Theologically

J. I. Packer

Regent College (Canada)

D.Phil., The University of Oxford

Reading the Bible as Literature

Leland Ryken

Wheaton College

Ph.D., The University of Oregon

Reading the Bible in Prayer and Communion with God

John Piper

Bethlehem Baptist Church (Minneapolis)

D.Theol., The University of Munich

Reading the Bible for Application

David Powlison

Westminster Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Pennsylvania

Reading the Bible for Preaching and Public Worship

R. Kent Hughes

College Church (Wheaton, IL), retired

D.Min., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

The Canon of the Old Testament

Roger T. Beckwith

Research scholar

D.D., The University of Oxford

The Canon of the New Testament

Charles E. Hill

Reformed Theological Seminary (Orlando)

Ph.D., The University of Cambridge

The Apocrypha

Roger T. Beckwith

Research scholar

D.D., The University of Oxford

The Reliability of the Old Testament Manuscripts

Paul D. Wegner

Phoenix Seminary

Ph.D., King's College, The University of London

The Reliability of the New Testament Manuscripts

Daniel B. Wallace

Dallas Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Dallas Theological Seminary

Archaeology and the Reliability of the Old Testament

John Currid

Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte)

Ph.D., The University of Chicago

Archaeology and the Reliability of the New Testament

David W. Chapman

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Cambridge

The Original Languages of the Bible: Hebrew and Aramaic

Peter J. Williams

Tyndale House (Cambridge)

Ph.D., The University of Cambridge

The Original Languages of the Bible: Greek

David Alan Black

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

D.Theol., The University of Basel

The Septuagint

Peter J. Gentry

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Toronto

How the New Testament Quotes and Interprets the Old Testament

C. John Collins

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Liverpool

Roman Catholicism

Gregg R. Allison

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Eastern Orthodoxy

Robert Letham

Wales Evangelical School of Theology

Ph.D., The University of Aberdeen

Liberal Protestantism

Bruce A. Ware

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary

Evangelical Protestantism

Bruce A. Ware

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary

Evangelical Protestantism and Global Christianity

Harold A. Netland

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Ph.D., Claremont Graduate School

The Bible and Contemporary Judaism

Marvin R. Wilson

Gordon College

Ph.D., Brandeis University

The Bible and Other World Religions

Harold A. Netland

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Ph.D., Claremont Graduate School

The Bible and Islam

Timothy C. Tennent

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Edinburgh

The Bible and Religious Cults

Ron Rhodes

Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries

Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary

History of Salvation in the Old Testament

Vern S. Poythress

Westminster Theological Seminary

D.Theol., The University of Stellenbosch

The ESV Study Bible benefited greatly from the work of a wide range of other contributors and consultants. The following list first indicates the specific kind of contribution, followed by a list of those who contributed or consulted in this area.
Other Contributors

Literary Features

Leland Ryken

Wheaton College

Ph.D., The University of Oregon

Maps

David Barrett (Bible Mapper)

Illustrations

Maltings Partnership (Derby, England)

Geography Editor

Barry J. Beitzel

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Ph.D., Dropsie University

Archaeological and Architectural Reconstruction Editor

Leen Ritmeyer

Ritmeyer Archaeological Design

Ph.D., The University of Manchester

Old Testament Archaeology Editor

John Currid

Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte)

Ph.D., The University of Chicago

New Testament Archaeology Editor

David W. Chapman

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Cambridge

Assistant Editor for Research

Travis Buchanan

M.Div., Phoenix Seminary
Consultants

Old Testament Consultants

W. Brian Aucker

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Edinburgh

Kenneth Laing Harris

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Liverpool

Paul R. House

Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

Ph.D., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

David J. Reimer

The University of Edinburgh

D.Phil., The University of Oxford

Gordon J. Wenham

Trinity Theological College (Bristol)

Ph.D., King's College, The University of London

New Testament Consultants

Darrell L. Bock

Dallas Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Aberdeen

John C. DelHousaye

Phoenix Seminary

Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary

Grant R. Osborne

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Ph.D., The University of Aberdeen

Robert H. Stein

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary

Archaeological Consultant

James K. Hoffmeier

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Ph.D., The University of Toronto

Old Testament Charts and Timelines Consultants

W. Brian Aucker

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Edinburgh

Gregory R. Perry

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Union Theological Seminary (Richmond)

Paul D. Wegner

Phoenix Seminary

Ph.D., The University of London

Kenneth Laing Harris

Covenant Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The University of Liverpool

New Testament Charts and Timelines Consultants

James M. Hamilton Jr.

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

John C. DelHousaye

Phoenix Seminary

Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary

Ethics Consultant

Robert A.J. Gagnon

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary

Cults Consultant

Robert M. Bowman Jr.

Center for Biblical Apologetics

M.A., Fuller Theological Seminary

__________________
Jeff Wyman
Man Under Care
Little Farms Chapel OPC, Coopersville, MI
Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

"Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other." - Isaiah 45:22 (ESV)