(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best christian bibles

From the Gospel of Saint John, 21:15-19:

"When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

A second time he said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go.” (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, “Follow me.”

----------------

Three times Peter reaffirms his love for Jesus as a personal retribution for the three times he denied him (John 13:38). The dialogue in Gren makes use of several synonyms: two different nouns are used for sheep, and two different verbs are used for feed, know, and love. Although this may be a stylistic feature to avoid redundancy, others think it more significant, especially with the word love.

In his first two questions, Jesus asks Peter if he loves him with "willing love" (Gk. agaoao), but in the third question he asks if Peter loves him with merely friendly affection (Gk. phileo), which is the word Peter uses in all three of his responses. An intended distinction between these terms would indicate that Jesus, desirous of a complete and heroic love from Peter, was willing by the end of the conversation to settle for his friendship.

Look at verse 15, "more than these?" - Peter is challenged to live up to his own words, since earlier he declared that even if the other disciples should fall away from Christ, his commitment would never falter (Matt 26:33).

When Jesus says, "Feed my lambs" Jesus is entrusting to Peter the task of shepherding his entire flock. This supreme leadership position over the Church gives a unique share in the authority of Christ, who is still acknowledged by Peter as the "chief shepherd" (1 Peter 5:4). Is important to recognize that no tension exists in the mind of Jesus between his role as the "good shepherd" and the delegation of pastoral authority to Peter (John 10:11; CCC 553, 881). Vatican I declared that in this episode Christ made Peter the visible head and chief pastor over the universal Church (Pastor aeternus, Chap. 1).

From the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003RWSARS

It actually looks interesting, but it was just released so there is not much to say about it yet. Here's the Amazon UK link with some reviews;

• The Good Book - A.C. Grayling
  
  A sample of his thinking:
  
  
• Five Minutes With: AC Grayling
  
  
• A.C. Grayling: "Teach the Controversy"
  
  Description of the book from the Amazon UK link;
  
  > Drawing on the wisdom of 2,500 years of contemplative non-religious writing on all that it means to be human - from the origins of the universe to small matters of courtesy and kindness in everyday life - A.C. Grayling, Britain's most popular and widely read philosopher, has created a secular bible. Designed to be read as narrative and also to be dipped into for inspiration, encouragement and consolation, "The Good Book" offers a thoughtful, non-religious alternative to the many people who do not follow one of the world's great religions. Instead, going back to traditions older than Christianity, and far richer and more various, including the non-theistic philosophical and literary schools of the great civilisations of both West and East, from the Greek philosophy of classical antiquity and its contemporaneous Confucian, Mencian and Mohist schools in China, down through classical Rome, the flourishing of Indian and Arab worlds, the European Renaissance and Enlightenment, the worldwide scientific discoveries of the 19th and 20th centuries to the present, Grayling collects, edits, rearranges and organises the collective secular wisdom of the world in one highly readable volume. Contents of this title include: "Genesis"; "Proverbs"; "Histories"; "Songs"; "Wisdom Acts"; "The Lawgiver Lamentations"; "Concord Consolations"; "Sages"; and, "The Good Parables".
  
  Edit: Many 504 errors -- deleted duplicates and added a bit of missing text.

Good Day! It was a pleasure, I remember only recently that I was also in your position and anything that makes the beginning stages easier is a must.

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Adventure-Catholic-Bible/dp/1945179414/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=catholic+bible&qid=1559034574&s=gateway&sr=8-11 I do recommend this bible, it is very expensive but includes everything you need to interpret scripture with plenty of context.

If not, then this one is just as good, I will also include a link to the NABRE Bible which is a Catholic bible but is translated to be read easier. The RSV 2nd Ed Bible is good but the direct translation makes it a little difficult to read fluidly. https://www.amazon.com/Catholic-Study-Bible-Donald-Senior/dp/0199362777/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=catholic+bible&qid=1559034574&s=gateway&sr=8-7

https://www.amazon.com/New-American-Bible-Revised-Personal/dp/1601374852/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=catholic+bible&qid=1559034574&s=gateway&sr=8-3 I give this one the highest reccommendation. It is a standard bible with the easiest to read translation.

2 other people I believe will be really helpful are Father Mike Schmits and Bishop Robert Barron. They both have tons of videos, especially Father Mike, answering any topic you can imagine. Father Mike was my own jump-board back into the faith and I just cannot recommend anyone more than him.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVdGX3N-WIJ5nUvklBTNhAw/videos (Do note, Father Mike is the priest in the videos. There are other people on the channel to who are all very wise Catholics. Just youtube Father Mike and "Insert Topic" and you will find what you have any reservations about. Father Josh who has his own podcast from the people at Ascension Presents is also wonderful to listen to.

I will also link to Bishop Rober Barrons channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcMjLgeWNwqL2LBGS-iPb1A and also to his site: https://www.wordonfire.org/

Last resource I can mention is anything from the Catholic Answers site. Not the forum but from the actual site. There you will find any topic ever thought of and have a genuine Catholic answer to it. https://www.catholic.com/

To finish off, this may all look very intimidating and I apologise for that. The best place to start from all this will be Father Mike and Catholic Answers. In that way you will be able to answer any of the really difficult road blocks and learn more on what the Faith has given us. There is a wealth of information that the Church has and even after 3 years of constant reading I am still learning new things on a daily basis which has enriched my own life. All the best and God Bless!

I love this one. The footnotes are good, but the real standout for me is the reading guide that is included for every book. The footnotes provide historical or cultural context where needed, which is awesome for odd phrases or customs which aren't in use any more. The footnotes also do a great job of connecting this or that passage with similar passages in other books, or even the numerous connections between the Old and New Testaments.

​

The reading guide lets you dive deep into the theology without having to get a degree in theology. It walks you through each book to find themes and ideas which don't always jump off the page when you read small batches at a time.

​

Also, the index is remarkably searchable. There's a great variety of topics covered which can help you if you ever wonder, "What does the Bible have to say about X?" It's almost certainly there.

​

Now, with that, I recommend a Bible commentary. I always recommend the Haydock commentary. It's older, so the language is a bit stilted, but the insights are phenomenal and fairly simply put. They're available for nearly every verse of every chapter of every book. When I do my reading for study, I'll read the study guide for the book I'm reading first, then read the passage or chapter with footnotes, then again with the commentary. You'll have a pretty good feel for it if you follow a similar plan, but you'll find what works best for you, no doubt.

I would recommend a One Year Bible(other versions available, but I recommend the NLT for its readability), which has daily readings from the OT, NT, Psalms and Proverbs, enabling you to read the whole Bible in a year! The good thing about this format is that, if the OT reading is heavy going, the (usually more accessible) NT/Psalms/Proverbs readings should keep you going.

If you're feeling tired and can't focus on reading, you can also relax and listen to the Word(Personally, I would recommend the ESV).

Before reading, I think it might be a good idea to say a simple prayer along the lines of 'Lord, please open my heart, give me understanding, be my Teacher.'

Edit: P.S. Since you say r/Christian is 'meh', I'd like to recommend r/TrueChristian as a good Christian subreddit alternative. Personally, I find r/Reformed better for deeper questions about theology, while I slightly prefer r/TrueChristian because it feels more in tune with day-to-day Christian living.

Dont feel bad about not knowing. I spent more than a year doing research before I even first approached a Rabbi. For us learning is a life long process.

Books:

• Jews, God and History will give you a good understanding of our history as a people. Many major empires have tried to destroy us, by all rights we should not be here any more but our oppressors end up consigned to museums and history books.
  
  
• Basic Judaism seems to be good
  
  
• To Be a Jew is highly recommend by many.
  
  
• Becoming A Jew also popular regarding Orthodox conversion.
  
  
• Essential Judaism seems to be Reform oriented but may contain a more broad oversight than just that viewpoint.
  
  
• Being Jewish was one I read that I thought offered lots of good information overall.
  
  Possibly most importantly I'd say you need a Jewish bible with commentary. I'd recommend the Stone Chumash. I also keep a JPS Hebrew/English Tanakh on my desk. The "chumash" (AKA the Torah) is the five books of Moses. The "Tanakh" is the Torah, Prophets and Writings, the entire Hebrew bible .I say a "Jewish Bible" because 1) the translation is more direct from Hebrew, without the distortions of the KJV/NIV/etc. 2) you also get commentary on the text from key Jewish scholars throughout the ages to help you understand the meaning of the text, this part is very important.
  
  All above book links are to Amazon but I am not an affiliate and do not gain in any way. You can probably find all those and more at a specialty Judaica shop like http://www.judaism.com or another similar site.
  
  BTW you probably want to go over this site entirely http://www.jewfaq.org/ It is written by an Orthodox guy so is slanted that way but the information is all good.

Well, let's unpack all of this. First off, the basics. "Tanakh" is an acronym for the Hebrew canon of Torah (Law), Neviim (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings). The source which Jews use for the Tanakh is the Hebrew preserved in the Masoretic Text. The Masoretic Text is a textual tradition of very similar versions of the Jewish canon which were meticulously copied by the Masorete scribes in the early Middle Ages. The Masoretes invented a system of writing vowels (Hebrew is not, in and of itself, a language with written vowels) to assist in properly reading the Tanakh without affecting the actual written text of the Tanakh. Jewish translations of the Tanakh likewise are translations from the Masoretic Text.

There are two versions of the JPS Tanakh, the 1917 JPS Tanakh (old JPS) and the 1985 JPS Tanakh (NJPS). If you're interested in obtaining a copy of one of these texts, make sure it is the 1985 JPS Tanakh (also known as the New JPS Tanakh or NJPS Tanakh). The 1917 edition is largely a Jewish revision of the Revised Version (a Christian translation). The 1985 edition is an original translation undertaken by the Jewish Publication Society. The NJPS is a quality, modern translation which is regularly used by the Jewish community and is also used in more academic settings involving Judaism.

Most modern Christian translations of the "Old Testament" are also translations from the Masoretic Text (KJV, NIV, ESV, NRSV, NASB, NLT, etc.). Thus, the NJPS and most Christian translations of the Old Testament are both translations of the same source (however Catholic translations will include a few additional books not found in the Masoretic Text). There are still some differences between the NJPS and Christian translations. One notable difference is that the NJPS follows the structure of Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim while Christian translations arrange their Old Testament in a different order. Christians have historically relied on the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate in understanding the Old Testament. Some Christian translations will rely on this legacy more than the NJPS. Christians also typically understand the Old Testament in light of the New Testament; the NJPS does not give undue preference to the New Testament or Christian theology. Thus the NJPS translates some verses in ways somewhat differently than Christian translations might.

A regular copy of the NJPS will include the Tanakh translated into English with occasional footnotes (mostly noting instances where the Hebrew is unclear or where other ancient sources have differing readings). You can also obtain a copy of the NJPS English translation alongside the Hebrew. If you'd like to peruse the NJPS translation without purchasing it, you can find the translation online here and here. Another great option is the Oxford University Press' Jewish Study Bible which contains the NJPS translation alongside more in depth commentary and references to Jewish literature.

You state that your interest is reading what Jesus read. Unfortunately we do not know what Jesus read. We can conjecture about what a Judean Jew might have read though. Two thousand years ago, people did not have a single book containing the Torah, the Neviim, and the Ketuvim. Instead communities had individual scrolls for different religious books. Different communities would have different books on their bookshelves (they would have different canons); either due to ideological differences or simply because they happened to have access to different books. Generally there seems to have been some agreement on texts. Sirach from the 2nd Century BCE affirms as scripture the Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim; but he does not elaborate on what was contained in these categories. Josephus, a Judean Jew from the 1st Century CE who claims to be affiliated with the Pharisees, states that Jews affirm the Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim. Josephus affirms that this Jewish canon contained 22 books. The current Jewish canon contains 24 books. So either two books were in dispute during Josephus' time, or Josephus regarded two books now regarded independent as being a part of two other books of the Hebrew Bible. The Dead Sea Scrolls from Qumran contain every book of the modern Jewish canon except for the Book of Esther, and they also contain other books not found in the modern Jewish canon. We can't really draw conclusions from this though; it is possible they had a canon which excluded Esther and included additional books, it's possible they had a canon which included Esther (just it wasn't persevered) and did not include the additional books (merely having or valuing a book does not mean you regard it as canon), or it's possible something else is true.

From the sources of the time, it seems that the canon of the average Jewish community would largely be the same books as the modern Jewish canon. So using the NJPS (or any other translation of the Old Testament) works fine. However different textual traditions existed; there were slightly different versions of the canonical books. The Dead Sea Scrolls are largely in agreement with the Masoretic Text, but differ in some regards (largely incidentally). The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Greek Septuagint also have instances where they disagree with the Masoretic Text. However, we have found evidence of the Masoretic Text tradition likewise existing in antiquity. Considering that Jesus was not Greek, not a Samaritan, probably not part of Qumran, and he probably was Pharisaic-inclined (as most Jews were), then it seems your best bet probably is using the Masoretic Text. Regardless, differences in the text traditions are not major.

Another important consideration is that Jesus likely did not speak Hebrew in his daily life. The colloquial language spoken in Judea at the time was Jewish Aramaic. The extent to which Hebrew was used and known is debatable. What seems clear though is that when texts from the Tanakh were read, there would be an accompanying reading of the passage in Aramaic. This may have simply been the reciter of the Hebrew text (being bilingual) providing an 'on the fly' Aramaic paraphrase of the text. Eventually this tradition of Aramaic paraphrases was collected and preserved in the 'targumim'. So what Jesus may have heard and understood would not simply be the Hebrew text, but also the Aramaic paraphrases. You can't exactly read the targumim, there are not readily available English translations of them and it would be a burden to read each one in addition to reading the Tanakh. I'd recommend again the Oxford University Press' Jewish Study Bible as it contains commentary which reference and discuss what the targumim say.

So, ultimately, if you're interested in simply reading the Masoretic Text, you can accomplish this by reading either the NJPS or the Old Testament most Christian Bibles. If you're interested in reading the Masoretic Text in the traditional order of Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim, then this order will be preserved in the NJPS while it will not be preserved in most Christian Bibles. If you are interested in reading the Masoretic Text without undue bias toward the Greek Septuagint, Latin Vulgate, and Christian New Testament, then the NJPS is a good option. If you're interested in reading a copy of the Masoretic Text with commentary referencing Jewish literature (including the targumim), then the Oxford University Press' Jewish Study Bible is a good option.

Oh. Well in that case there's really a lot he could read.

• Natan Slifkin might interest him. He's a rabbi & a biologist. He also has a blog called Rationalist Judaism, which I really like. (He's written a few books too)
  
  
• Marc Shapiro is also very interesting. He is Orthodox, but approaches religious subjects academically and is widely admired. He might like his writing or his video lectures. This subreddit is actually going to discuss one of his books, "The Limits of Orthodox Theology" in a couple months.
  
  
• Mordechai Kaplan, founder of the Reconstructionist movement, was fairly prolific. It's not science related and it's super-old, but I think "Judaism as a Civilization" is still relevant.
  
  
• While I'm at it, I don't think it hurts to have something like How to Read the Jewish Bible or The Jewish Study Bible around.
  
  
• A final note, if he's into biblical criticism, I'd recommend Christine Hayes of Yale University. She has a YouTube playlist of her classes. Her presentation is exceedingly accessible. She works very hard to discuss the Hebrew Bible respectfully.
  
  
  Note: I decided to put biblical criticism here because it's something Jewish atheists (whatever we mean by atheist) eventually have to deal with. If an atheist is really is attached to their Jewish identity, they will somehow have to explain why they care about a library of texts that their friends on message boards etc. will routinely mock.
  
  
  Good luck!
  

I would absolutely agree on the NIV as a good general purpose bible, however there are some alternatives out there depending on what you are looking for. I would highly recommend either The Book of God by Walter Wangerin or The Message by Eugene Peterson, both of which are a re-imagining (read: they should not be used as a reference!) of the biblical stories, the former as a novel and the latter as a bible where the stories are told using language you or I would.

I also greatly support using a study bible, the good ones will give helpful context or reference to the stories you read, or you can just go all the way academic and grab a copy of the Oxford Annotated Bible (but from the sounds of it you wouldn't want that).

Although workingmouse, I would disagree that the KJV is the go-to bible these days for protestants, largely for the reasons you gave. Speaking of definitely not kosher, has anyone read the book Lamb? It's a pretty humorous read, but you really need to be ready to hold nothing sacred for a few hundred pages. =)

Good luck in your search OP!

I've read Forged and Jesus, Interrupted and Lost Christianities. The first was pretty content-light, but the others (esp. Lost Christianities) were worth the money.

Jesus, Interrupted does discuss about several problematic passages in Scripture. Beyond the two examples listed, Ehrman spends time on:

• Nativity story: genealogy conflicts
  
• Nativity story: Census-Herod dating conflict
  
• Composition: Pseudepigraphal epistles
  
• Composition: Pastoral epistles vs. Pauline doctrine
  
• [several other miscellaneous discrepancies].
  
  Beyond these rather uncontroversial (and imo boring) errors, Ehrman launches into a more involved discussion about historical methodology. He argues for reading each Gospel as an independent voice, given that the authors, e.g., the composers of Mark and John, were ignorant of each others' work. For Ehrman, this dynamic tension and interplay between the Gospels is too-often muted by the Christian proclivity towards dogmatic synthesis. To appreciate all four paintings of Jesus, only two with a nativity story, only one that is pre-eternal, only one with an intense self-referential & theological bent, with the others pointing towards the Kingdom of God: is not such a thing more faithful to the text than the impressionistic mega-Jesus of popular culture?
  
  An idea worth playing with.
  
  Lost Christianities was a fascinating, and dense, analysis of the earliest days of Christianity. It discusses the religious climate and how it fostered such a fascinating degree of diversity, and details how the proto-orthodox ultimately succeeded in their polemics.
  
  I should note that there exists a sizable overlap between Ehrman's academic work and the Yale course on the New Testament, taught by Dale Martin.
  
  I would recommend these last two resources, which tend to be more comprehensive than some of Ehrman's popular writings.
  

> So, you recommend I first read Dei Verbum.
>
> Then read both the Bible, and Walking With God together?
>
> And this is perfect for a complete beginner?

That's a good place to start, yup.

>Also, which version of the Bible do I need to buy?

I (and most people on this sub) personally like the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition. It's probably the best translation out there right now. The Ignatius Bible is a good, inexpensive Bible to get and it's available as a Kindle edition (but I'd recommend having a print Bible). If you want to spend a bit more money, you could get The Great Adventure Bible, which is actually put out by the same guy who wrote Walking With God and follows the same color coding system he uses.

>I’m guessing I should buy two. One that’s more traditional, and other in today’s English?

I wouldn't bother with that yet. If you want old fashioned language, you could get a Douay Rheims Bible, but honestly, I'd just get the plain English version and use that unless you really like old fashioned language.

>Edit: Just found out it’s not on Kindle :(

Really? I'm seeing a Kindle option.

Hi Quill!

I'm like yourself, in that I was raised Catholic, left the Church, and started fooling around with other things (Atheism, Islam, paganism, a whole variety of stuff).

After doing some serious introspection, I came to understand that I wasn't actually looking for God Himself in all of that, I was looking for my own personal definition of what I thought God should be. I was looking for the God of my desires, not the God of my Salvation.

After a period of pretty intense study, I came back to the Church like my ass was on fire and my head was catching. I've run into alot of the same problems you have, and I agree with what many of the others on here have already said, namely start slow, and learn the core message of Christianity through the Gospels.

To help get you on your way, I would like to recommend this to you:

Ignatius Study Bible, New Testament Only

That is the BEST study bible that you can spend your pennies on. I would highly recommend that you start with that, and prayer.

And of course, all of us on here are available if you need community, or have questions! :)

In Christ,
N

Get a Bible you would read. I like the RSV-CE, but you can also go with the Douay Rheims if you want archaic English or the NAB. Of the Bibles, the Navarre Bible (RSV) has commentary sections from Saints throughout the centuries. They have a single volume version of the New Testament that I use. (Also good, the Ignatius Study Bible, also New Testament only).

I recommend Thomas Howard's If Your Mind Wanders At Mass and Healing Through the Mass by Fr. Robert DeGrandis.

Get the Official Catechism of the Catholic Church, and get the helps put out by Ignatius Press (which contain the texts of all the footnotes). The Compendium is also good, if you want an abridgement.

For Philosophy, I recommend The Fulfillment of All Desire by Ralph Martin. In that book he takes the writings of seven doctors of the Church and encapsulates them so that a layperson can follow them. You can use that as a springboard to discover your own readings about St. Augustine, St. John of the Cross, etc.

These are all affiliate links, but you do not have to use them.

> the Chumash for me...Basically, I want an unbiased but very educational scripture that provides scholarly sources.

ArtScroll is great but, the language is, well, ArtScroll another modern Chumash is the Steinsaltz one from Koren but ArtScroll is sort of the standard in most O schuls that I know of.

As I go forward I find myself much less concerned about who's the translator I care more and more about the commentary.

The ArtScroll edition summarizes commentary and picks and chooses, so with that in mind you might also ponder getting a Chumash from one person, like one from Rav Soloveitchik or Rav Hirsch or get a collection of commentaries in the form of a Mikraot Gedolot I recently got Torat Chaim it has with commentaries by Rabbi Saadia Gaon, Rabbeinu Chananel, Rashi, Rashbam, Ramban, Rabbi Avraham ibn Ezra,Chizkuni and Seforno, and published by Mossad HaRav Kook.

>and Robert Alter’s new translation for my Christian parents (to take them away from biases Christian translations that try so hard to add a prophecy of the birth of a white man god name Jesus.)

Actually, a far more effective book might be The Jewish Annotated New Testamant although I would caution against wasting time on something that may never change.

Especially since you are reading on your own, I suggest a Study Bible. This one is my personal study bible and extremely phenomenal. It is the ESV translation which is one of my favorites as well. It's a little more pricey than a regular bible, so if you would like a free copy let me know. The commentary inside is great and really helps me understand the text better.

I'm not an NT scholar (though I do a lot of NT study through the Judaic studies lens) so I'm not exactly focused on Ehrman, but I've just found his introductory material to be well composed. At this point, I usually suggest checking out the Jewish Annotated New Testament as it does an excellent job of putting the NT in its Judaic context, both within the text with cross references, as well as without via essays from most major scholars in the back.

>what I liked about Zealot...

If you want a nice fictional book that does something similar, read As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg. If you want a historical retelling, I think Josephus himself does a decent job of getting this across.

There has been a great deal of study devoted to when and why the books of the Bible were originally written. A good introductory work on the field is How to Read the Jewish Bible by Marc Zvi Brettler. For more comprehensive references, the HarperCollins Study Bible and New Oxford Annotated Bible are packed with the best available research. Further useful reading would be The Ancient Mediterranean World: From the Stone Age to A.D. 600, People of the Covenant: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, and Forged: Writing in the Name of God—Why the Bible's Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are.

That depends on what, exactly, you would like to read the Bible for. If you are looking for an academic study of Scripture, then I highly recommend getting an RSVCE, or a Douay-Rheims Bible, along with a Reverse Interlinear and a copy of the Vulgate. This way, you can compare different, albeit faulty, english translations to the original language that the Scriptures are recorded in (Greek). You will also benefit from the reading of the Deuterocanon (popularly, and misguidedly, referred to as the "Apocrypha"). You could also use Biblia Clerus to see what the Church Fathers have to say on particular segments of Scripture.

If you simply want to read Scripture as a piece of literature, then perhaps you will find other options available to you online. Popular among Catholics is the Jeff Cavins' "Great Adventure" Series in which he leads you through a very systematic analysis of Scripture.

A good study Bible would (I hope) cover a lot of these issues. I'm glad you're reading the Bible and hope you find a community where you can grow and learn. I would HIGHLY recommend The ESV Study Bible. It's scholarly, recently done, and in the back has a cliff's notes of sorts on theology and ethics. Hope that helps. PS: I sent you the Kindle link, but feel free to check out the hard back and paperback versions at any Barnes and Noble or Christian Bookstore.

Came here to recommend the RSV with the others. It's my primary Bible. Oxford still sells the 1977 RSV edition of the New Oxford Annotated Bible. The notes are solid, though not as contemporary as the latest scholarship, they'll do fine. For a study Bible it's also a surprisingly handy size (not compact, but not a cinderblock like other study bibles). This is the most common edition of the RSV available.

My favorite edition of the RSV is a compact version of the RSV-Catholic Edition published by Oxford. It looks like this. Don't know whether the smaller print will bother you but I enjoy it.

You said in this thread you like pew hardback Bibles - the American Bible Society published one of the RSV. Out of print unfortunately, but they look like this - a plain black or maroon book with "The Bible" on the cover. Sometimes you can find cheap ones on EBay.

Other new editions of the RSV are harder to find. Catholic publishers like Ignatius Press and Saint Benedict Press continue to publish new editions of the RSV Catholic Edition, which is virtually identical to the RSV and includes a chart of the differences in an appendix. Ignatius also has an "RSV 2nd Catholic Edition" which modernizes thees/thous and is designed to reflect more Catholicism.

Oxford published a 50th Anniversary edition of the RSV, in both hardcover and leather, but it's rare and thus expensive unfortunately.

Perhaps I have a different view than most. I'm a RCC convert from secular/agnostic when I was 18. So I had to come to the Faith from nothing to essentially an adult understanding.

I wouldn't start with the current Catechism of the Catholic Church or even the summary, because it tends to be very wordy without a whole lot of substance at times. If you can stomach/interpret through some of the "dated parts" the Baltimore Catechisms are a great simple question and answer format for learning the bare bones of the Faith. In fact they are arranged in a sequentially more "fleshed out" fashion.

The Bible is a great place for information, but until you get used to hacking though the language etc. I would suggest reading it with a guide or a Study Bible. As much as it pains me to say the New American Bible, although a disgusting and ugly translation is relatively clear and easy to read (when compared with the Douay or KJV). Don't forget to use summaries online or even just the Wikipedia pages for various books.

A place that is pre-vatican II oriented but a great source of information is www.fisheaters.com I still find their basics page to be a source of information.

Finally if you're more of a mobile app person the ipieta (iOS and android) is basically an entire Catholic library in app form.

I hope these help.

The Ancient Commentary on Scripture Series (published by InterVarsity) has in-depth patristic commentary on individual books of the Bible. It goes verse-by-verse, so it sounds like what you're looking for. If you want patristic/medieval commentary for free, this site is quite good: https://sites.google.com/site/aquinasstudybible/home .

As for Bible translations, Fr. Thomas Hopko once recommended the RSV (plus the apocrypha) for balancing readability and literalness. I myself like the KJV, but the RSV is quite good: Ignatius press publishes a good edition.


Fr. Laurent Cleenewerck, an OCA (?) priest, is working on translating the Bible from the official Greek of the Orthodox Church. He has only finished the New Testament. But you can pair it with Lancelot Brenton's (old) translation of the Septuagint.


For what its worth, Richard Hays has recently published a book explaining figural exegesis (the method for interpreting the bible that the Fathers use), called [Reading Backward] (https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Backwards-Figural-Christology-Fourfold/dp/1481302337/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1500494710&sr=8-3&keywords=richard+hayes).

Brother (or sister?), I’m the same way. The RSV-2CE has a beautiful yet simple leather bound edition that you can get at a pretty decent price from Amazon.

But don’t discount the app. I use it even more than I do the physical book, simply because it is much easier to quick reference it online or when out and about than the physical copy. And when it’s free, why not have both!

Yeah, the Jewish Study Bible is my “go-to” for the Hebrew Bible. I love the New Jewish Publication Society’s translation and the notes are excellent.

You can read more about the Jewish Annotated New Testament here. Enjoy!

EDIT: formatting

That depends on what you are academically studying.

If you are studying the text, the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) holds close to the original Greek New Testament.

The standard English translation used for academic study is the NRSV, in particular, the Oxford Annotated Bible and Harper Collins is widely used in major universities. It has the great advantage of being ecumenical, translated by people with a wide variety of theological viewpoints, rather than sectarian translations like the New World or NIV Bibles; and of being modern and thus based on a pretty up-to-date set of manuscript traditions, where the KJV (for example) suffers simply because the translators had less to go on.

Also, check out:

The Jewish Study Bible

Jewish Annotated New Testament

I would recommend, however, that if you want to academically study the Bible, you need a Greek New Testament and a Hebrew Old Testament, a Greek Lexicon and Grammar, a Hebrew Lexicon and Grammar, and several years of study.

subreddit posts on Bible versions/ translations:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AcademicBiblical/comments/b0d0ac/probably_ask_before_but_what_is_the_best_version/

https://www.reddit.com/r/AcademicBiblical/comments/3vtige/which_translation_should_i_read_for_cultural_and/

https://www.reddit.com/r/AcademicBiblical/comments/8ovjr7/which_translations_of_the_bible_are_considered_to/

List of essential commentaries for each book of the Hebrew Bible:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AcademicBiblical/comments/9p7ois/what_are_some_of_the_more_academic_bible/

https://www.reddit.com/r/AcademicBiblical/comments/8myk8y/the_most_essential_commentary_for_each_book_of/

approachable resources for lay people on biblical scholarship and reading Recommendations for newbies:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AcademicBiblical/comments/d21gz4/is_there_an_academic_bible_equivalent_of_the_book/

https://www.reddit.com/r/AcademicBiblical/comments/c1c4ll/reading_recommendations_for_newbies_to_gospel/

Hey! You mean this one? https://www.amazon.co.uk/ESV-Study-Bible-Crossway-Bibles-ebook/dp/B001CDWFPC I just had a look online and it looks amazing! Do you have the Kindle version or paperback? Has reading the ESV bible helped you with answering questions like mine?

Thank you for your detailed answer and you're absolutely right, especially when Jesus asked God to save him from crucifixion and he didn't. To think of that, God, denying his own son, makes me feel scared and doubtful honestly. I don't want to sound selfish and be me me me, but I cant say I don't ask God for something everyday, but why should he answer my prayers when he didn't answer Jesus' prayer. But then again God brought on Jesus for the purpose of all of us to be forgiven by him being crucified, so that's why he didn't answer his prayers. I just don't know anymore, they always say not think deep about religion, but I just can't.

Also, what is exactly meant by "God's will", does it mean God's plan? or that requests shouldn't be evil or harmful to anyone?

I ordered it from Amazon when I read the posts about it in /r/atheism. It arrived in the mail this morning.

I just finished reading The Dark Side of Christian History (it's so-so but contains some useful information) and have yet to read Not The Impossible Faith before I get to Grayling's The Good Book and Life, Sex and Ideas (I liked the cover). If I manage to find the time, I'll write a few words about them.

NRSV and NAB are pretty respected for accuracy, I think. If you really want to understand it though I would get a study Bible (I use the Catholic Study Bible). They have helpful historical and cross-referential footnotes that put things in context.

Also if you get a Catholic or Orthodox Bible you get more books for your money :)

"During the Ante-Nicene period following the Apostolic Age, a great diversity of views emerged simultaneously with strong unifying characteristics lacking in the apostolic period." Source

"many variations in this time defy neat categorizations, as various forms of Christianity interacted in a complex fashion to form the dynamic character of Christianity in this era. The Post-Apostolic period was extremely diverse both in terms of beliefs and practices. In addition to the broad spectrum of general branches of Christianity, there was constant change and diversity that variably resulted in both internecine conflicts and syncretic adoption." Source

"In the period between 100 and 300 C.E., the Christian movement grew throughout the Roman empire. At times there were heated debates about beliefs, worship, and even about Jesus himself." Source

It took about three minutes with Google to find those. But in case you think I'm just quote mining, here is the book I've been reading for a few days now.

I second everything everyone else is saying. Another thing I would add is, especially since you're a Catholic, to get a copy of the Latin Vulgate. There are a lot of paper copies and your priests can easily tell you where to get one. Just so you know, this version on Amazon (which is basically the only listing for 'Vulgate' on the site) is a copy of the Stuttgart version, which is an academic rather than devotional version and will read different than what they read in Mass.

I recommend you get a good copy because you'll be killing multiple birds with one stone. Use these other tools like Lingua Latina to start to get the basic grammar and vocabulary. Then you can use the Vulgate to see how the grammar is used in a sentence. I'm doing the same thing right now and it's helping a lot. Beyond that, you'll get used to the language of the Vulgate, which will then help you when you're in Mass.

Having a Chumash is a good start. Artscroll's good for that. You won't be disappointed. That's what's read weekly with enough commentary to whet your palate.

Edit, getting an inexpensive basic Hebrew English Tanakh would be good to have to look up the rest of the Bible. Like https://www.amazon.com/Hebrew-English-Tanakh-Jewish-Publication-Society/dp/0827607660/

I reccomend the ESV version, its very clear and concise, and really gets the point across WITHOUT taking any of the content or message away.

This is the ESV Study Bible that I use. Its great and affordable! :)

While I love it, it does kind of feel like you’re missing a trick by not making the bible look as unapologetically 90s as the original. Still a really great drawing though!

Crossway's ESV Bible is free and has been specially formatted for Kindle.

This isn't just some pdf converted to epub. There's a ton of cross references, and it is formatted so that you can jump directly to chapter and verse from the index menu:

mt 5 10 for instance is Matthew 5:10.

If you enjoy the free version and want more detail I recommend the Study version that is available for $17.

Try to Pick up a Bible which uses a very informal translation and a contemporary language. I would recommend The Message or The Voice.

It will definitely help you see the text with fresh eyes almost as if you're reading it for the first time.

I was curious to see how the Bible rated with these stats.
Found these: KJV (King James, 1607),
NIV (Modern Translation)
Surprisingly, the KJV is rated as quite easy to read, and they both are at 100 percentile for length.

Also, the Qua'ran rates quite similarly, although slightly easier.

Even better, watch these lectures on the Yale website where you can also access transcripts and a list of reading material:

http://oyc.yale.edu/religious-studies/rlst-145

If you prefer a shorter introduction in book form, Marc Zvi Brettler's How to Read the Jewish Bible is pretty good.

I think "A History of God" by Karen Armstrong is a pretty good start; it covers Judaism, Christianity and Islam. About the ancient christian movements before Roman Catholicism, I'd suggest you "Lost Christianities" by Bart D. Ehrman. (In fact, I'd suggest to read all his books, they're awesome)

About the different branches of christianity, I'd suggest you to study the history of the Protestant Reformation. I'm not sure about the history of Christianity in the U.S... here's a wild guess based only on the reviews: A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada by Mark A. Noll.

Ask and ye shall receive

John 3:16 MSG - For God so loved the world... whoah like all you need is love man, right on

I read the whole Bible once and, personally, didn't get that much out of it (devout Christian). If you want a richer understanding of Christianity, I suggest familiarizing yourself with the main stories and teachings of Jesus. I believe that you have to read the Psalms / prophets slowly to appreciate the poetry. You have to know the history and mythology to understand Genesis. You have to study Christology in order to give the Gospels their due. Skimming through the Bible just isn't worth it.

If you're intent on reading the whole thing, I suggest one of two things. Buy something like the One Year Bible to break up the boring bits into smaller chunks. Or print out a list of all of the books and chapters of the Bible, stick it in the front of your Bible, and highlight chapters as you read them.

I’ve tried researching this on YouTube, but YouTube can be a minefield. What I would recommend is getting a copy of the Catholic Study Bible. The study notes are all top notch. The NABRE is a sound translation, which is a plus.

For the record, I’m Lutheran. But when I took NT Greek in college (1 semester), my professor recommended the then NAB. When the NABRE came out (New American Bible Revised Edition), I bought a copy on my Kindle.

The Catholic Study Bible is written in the spirit of Vatican 2, so it is compatible with mainline Protestantism.

I have heard that the Zondervan NIV Study Bible is good, and it looks like you can get it [used on Amazon for under $10] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0310929555/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used). There are some problems with the NIV as a translation, but I don't think any of these are important for someone just starting to read the Bible. Hope this helps!

Yeah, I'm only getting stuff like this: https://www.amazon.com/Biblia-Sacra-Vulgata-Vulgate-Bible/dp/1598561782

No commentary is okay, but this doesn't have macrons either. And it's pretty expensive at $60

Get a study Bible. I have this one and like it a lot. By using a study Bible, you have the added benefit of learning the reasoning behind things. Things like why Paul wrote what he did, and what the people in that time would have thought of in the Old Testament when Paul said what he did. The Bible is an incredibly deep book.

I feel like no one remembers it was an actual thing that was super popular in the 90s. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0785200819/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_KlJ3Bb8HP35V4

Ok, thanks. So something like [this](Catholic Bible: Revised Standard Version https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0898708338/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_lV-tub0CPW06M) [or this](Revised Standard Version Catholic Bible: Compact Edition https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0195288564/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_GY-tub14XVE37) ?

Theres also [this](Catholic Bible: New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Anglicised edition with the Grail Psalms (Bible Nrsv) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0007414099/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_mZ-tub1D9YMTJ) . Whats the difference between NRSV and RSV?

Sorry if I'm being a pest with all these questions.

Awesome! Let me know how it goes! Check out the NLT one year Bible, it divide's it up in chunks (so I'm not sure if you'll like that about it) but it's based on whatever today's date is and they give you a reading portion. I'm a fan of it! Link here: https://www.amazon.com/One-Year-Bible-NLT-Translation-2/dp/1414302045/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1483154963&sr=1-1&keywords=nlt+one+year+bible

I use this one and love it. Recommend getting the tabs too - The Catholic Study Bible https://www.amazon.com/dp/0199362777/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_MnP5AbG4XYM10

The Jewish Study Bible isn't Christian. It's an academic look at the Tanakh based on the JPS translation; it's quite useful and has some terrific essays.

Jewish Study Bible

​

​

I believe you're thinking of the "Complete Jewish Bible" and the "Complete Jewish Study Bbile", which are Christian.

Ignatius, Leather Bound, Two Ribbon Bookmarks, RSV translation, includes helpful footnotes, but nothing over-the-top, pages painted with gold on the ends so it looks beautiful, thick enough pages that there's small risk of tearing, and readable font-size.

Yeah, it’s very real. Griffin having grown up in church & gone to church camps knew it was a real thing. That was the joke. It’s just a NKJ Bible with little devotions & stories that relate to teens. I remember seeing them in church as a teen myself.

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Teen-Bible-NKJV/dp/0785200819

I bought this Bible years ago, and while I haven't really compared it with others, I find it has a reasonable amount of information in footnotes. If I want to study more deeply, there's other more in-depth sources out there, so this one strikes a good balance in my opinion. I would like to see other's recommendations:

You could try The Message Bible. It’s technically a paraphrase rather than a translation, but it’s very easy to read.

There are several Orthodox English translations, although only one that covers the entire Bible - this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Orthodox-Study-Bible-Hardcover-Christianity/dp/0718003594/

Several other (arguably better) Orthodox translations also exist, but only covering parts of the Bible - usually the New Testament. Here is a good one for example:

https://www.amazon.com/EOB-Orthodox-Testament-Patriarchal-extensive/dp/148191765X/

Alain de Botton wrote about "a Religion For Atheists" and AC Grayling put together "The Good Book".

I can't honestly say I'd recommend either.

My travel Bible is Verbum on my phone ;)

If you are looking for a paper Bible, this one seems nice.

Here is a link to the New Testament on Amazon. It is a new translation based on the Patriarchal Text of 1904. The Orthodox Study Bible is a totally different project.

There is precious little on the internet about whether the Old Testament is in the works or not.

Then don't get the Koren one people are linking, as it's Hebrew-only.

Here is the Koren Hebrew-English. I would recommend against this fairly strongly, because the translation is bizarre.

The JPS Hebrew-English Pocket Size might be an option, but the font is small (which will always be the case for a Hebrew-English Tanakh under 8") and the softcover easily gets dog-eared. The larger size is much bigger than what you'd be looking for.

Artscroll also has options, one size at 8.5", another at 6".

Different commentaries. Little “devotionals” to make the stories more applicable to (insert demographic here)

I had the teen adventure bible or some bullshit, circa 1998.

You know, the battle of Jericho was not about slaughtering a city full of men, women and children.. it’s about “how God works in radical and XTREME ways, when you trust him!”

Edit: it was the extreme teen bible. Comments in the reviews are funny:
https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Teen-Bible-NKJV/dp/0785200819#aw-udpv3-customer-reviews_feature_div

I recommend going for an ESV study bible. Lots of color pictures and maps, explanations of historical context, religious and cultural customs, as well as literary themes that run through the Bible which will help with interpretation. After all, there's more to reading the Bible than just knowing history and textual criticism.

I always enjoy the Jewish Annotated New Testament or the New Oxford Annotated Study Bible. Both use the NRSV with top-notch commentary and essays. The NOASB is often used in academic biblical courses in universities, for example.

If you're looking for a solid Orthodox New Testament with study notes; I recommend EOB: The Eastern Greek Orthodox New Testament

My bible would be The Secular Bible

Havn't read it so i'm going on one hell of a gamble here; but surely it couldn't be any worse than the Holy Bible?

This is a good (Not perfect) bible

https://www.amazon.com/Ignatius-Bible-Revised-Standard-Catholic/dp/0898709369/ref=asc_df_0898709369/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312143170987&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7529484038654386202&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031556&hvtargid=pla-435409148330&psc=1

It really depends on what you're after. A habit I had for a few years was reading whatever Psalm and Proverb the calendar day was. So today, I'd read Psalm and Proverb 9. And you can keep a bookmark in the New Testament and just move it forward one chapter or two chapters every day as you read.

There's lots of daily plans though - a through the Bible in the year is a good thing to have:

https://www.amazon.com/One-Year-Bible-NLT/dp/1414302045/

The [Jewish Study Bible] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OKPCRLG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) is a good modern, more academic commentary.

This is the Tanakh I have. I would say it fits the bill for being a good travel size.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0827607660/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_wOiWCbECHVC2A

>How are VOSLs of different faiths redundant

If you had actually read the Holy Bible, the Thomas Jefferson Bible, and the Tanakh ...you might know.

Thank you so much.

Is this the one you are referring to?
https://www.amazon.com/ESV-Study-Bible-Crossway-Bibles-ebook/dp/B001CDWFPC

https://www.amazon.com/Biblia-Sacra-Vulgata-Vulgate-Bible/dp/1598561782/ and lots of other new and used book sellers both online and brick-and-mortar. This sort of reference book is often available second-hand for a significantly lower price. And for ease of reference there are a few Latin-English editions featuring the Clementine Vulgate text out there as well.

I’m jumping in on this to get opinions on NETS for the OT and this translation of the Patriarchal Recension NT.

OP, to give one answer to your question, NRSVs are easy and cheap to come by with all the deuterocanonicals, but the books won’t be in the right order and the protocanonical translations will be Masoretic-Septuagint hybrids.

Is $14 cheap enough? You can get this compact RSV Catholic Bible--it's published by Oxford University Press and has some useful Catholic prayers devotions on the back page. It's the Bible I use and I have no complaints about it.

I find Bart D. Ehrman to be a interesting writer. He was originally an evangelical christian who became interested in learning the ancient languages, did so, and now considers himself an agnostic.

Not all of his books are very 'sociological' in nature, but you might like to read Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew which talks about the conflicts between the different beliefs about Christ in the early church. Do be warned that his books (or at least the ones I've read) serve more as an (very good) introduction to the subject rather than a full in-depth inquiry.

The wiki for this sub suggests the following:

• How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now
  
• The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings
  
• Age of Reason by Thomas Paine - A starting point of many irreconcilable contradictions and errors that lend many scholars to views on multiple authorship.
  
  If any moderators are reading I personally propose adding this to the Wiki, it's excellent:
  
  
• How to Read the Bible by Marc Zvi Brettler also published as How to Read the Jewish Bible.

This is the standard one that people use.

The actual source: Link

Sold out in the UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0747599602/ but available on Kindle.

In the US it's only available from Sellers http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0747599602/

Oh man! There must be multiple different ones. I actually had this one as a kid/teen. So edgy.

Extreme Teen Bible

The Extreme Teen Bible actually exists IRL. I had one as a kid.

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Teen-Bible-NKJV/dp/0785200819/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=extreme+teen+bible&qid=1567853572&s=gateway&sprefix=extreme+tee&sr=8-2

This one?

https://www.amazon.com/EOB-Orthodox-Testament-Patriarchal-extensive/dp/148191765X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1480517056&sr=8-3&keywords=the+eastern+orthodox+bible

It was in the introduction to the gospel of matthew in this book. Despite the heavily theological appearance, the notes actually widely depart from typical Christian beliefs and are all written by liberal scholars.

You can get one for $55 on Amazon. Or, for much less, you could get the one linked above printed and spiral bound (maybe in three volumes?) at your local Kinko's, etc.

Here

• The Jewish Study Bible
  
• The New Oxford Annotated Bible

Here is a Latin Bible. Quite pricey, but whatever. I found it by searching for "Vulgate." So maybe try looking for specific translations?

Edit: Here is a German Catholic Bible.

Here is the desktop version of OP's link

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0747599602

While specifics are somewhat important, I think most new Christians are not taught what to do next. I'm learning finally, (after TWENTY-TWO years of being a Christian) that spiritual disciplines are absolutely essential to your new relationship. Let me define what I mean by explaining what I've begun to do and where I am seeing change.

1. I've (slowly) started to develop the discipline of prayer at the same time, every day, 5 times a day, similar to this early church pratice. It has been incredible. It keeps your find focused soley on the spiritual, while still dealing with life's every day crap. I've not yet worked my way up to 5 times a day, but I'm at about 3 (that ones at 3am will be interesting to get down).
   
   
2. During 2-3 of these times, I have been reading passages of scripture out of this one year Bible that is kept in a chapel at my university. I meditate on the words, and incorporate what I've learned into my prayer for that period. Again, I'm not anywhere near regular with this yet, but I'm getting more and more disciplined every day.
   
   
3. Accountability. This one is the hardest one for Christians to grasp today, and I'm still not entirely sure what it means. I've begun to meet with two of my Christian professors, and we just talk about life, theology, whatever. Struggles with porn/masturbation are usually weekly topics, and their wisdom helps me greatly. This is my definition of accountability for now.
   
   It's so important to remember in all this that you have to keep looking back to where you were, and compare it to where you are now. The enemy is really good at making you feel like you haven't made any progress at all, and that every little thing you do wrong makes you a failure. It's not true. Those are lies that you must constantly weed out.
   
   Hope this helps man - the Lord is with you both.

If you think thats bad.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Book-Secular-Bible/dp/0747599602

The man is a hubristic twazock. Nor dose he have any particularly interesting work that offsets this.

>I'm also open to other suggestions if I have possibly missed other options that fit my needs.

The following two books are often recommended:

The Jewish Study Bible

Jewish Annotated New Testament


Both of these are academic in nature. You will find stuff about source criticism and they have scholarly articles about various things in there too. The Jewish Study Bible is also used in the Yale Online Course on the Hebrew Bible by Christine Hayes(you can find the lecture series on YouTube).

I asked, sadly no Study bibles available. I dont mind it being in spanish nor in english. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0199362777/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr= on Amazon is 38 usd, cant afford it right now. (I'm a chemical engineering student, working at university)

The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha is the standard.

I also highly recommend the Jewish Annotated New Testament.

Edit: My bad I thought you were asking for study bible recommendations.

What is it you’re wanting? Are you wanting to study biblical criticism and history? Or is this for spiritual practice and fulfillment?

That's a lot of words saying nothing. I've heard Peterson talk (his son was our associate pastor) and heard him call it a translation. Amazon.com's review and book description call it a translation

It is clearly an idiomatic translation as Wikipedia labels it. Hard to believe you know much about translations if you can't see that or at the very least address how Wikipedia has it wrong. I'm not saying I can't be wrong but at least attempt to explain why I'm wrong.