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Some Bible Outlines are More Helpful Than Others

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mkorsakov (2014), Creative Commons

mkorsakov (2014), Creative Commons

Bible outlines help us simplify and organize the author’s message. That’s why expository sermons outline passages and study Bibles outline books. I can’t remember the last time I read an introduction to a book of the Bible that didn’t propose an outline for the book.

But some outlines are less helpful than others.

Take, for example, this outline of Job 4-14 from the NIV Zondervan Study Bible:

  1. First Exchange: Eliphaz (4:1-5:27)
  2. Job’s Response to Eliphaz (6:1-7:21)
  3. Second Exchange: Bildad (8:1-22)
  4. Job’s Response to Bildad (9:1-10:22)
  5. Third Exchange: Zophar (11:1-20)
  6. Job’s Response to Zophar (12:1-14:22)

This outline succeeds at observing Job’s structure, but it does little to help us understand Job’s message. Many outlines stop short of significant usefulness when they state all the “what” but little of the “why.” In other words, they outline content but not meaning. They outline observation but not interpretation. They give us summaries but not main points.

What’s usually more helpful is to outline the logic of the passage. Figure out how the main points of each section flow into and out of one another, constructing a theme or message that the author wants to communicate to his readers. When an outline packages the building blocks of the book’s argument, readers are more likely to benefit from it quickly.

For example, consider this outline of Job 4-14 from The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible:

  1. Eliphaz: You Strengthened Others but Now Are Fainting (4:1-5:27)
  2. Job: You Do Not Know the Weight of My Grief (6:1-7:21)
  3. Bildad: All Agree that God is Just (8:1-22)
  4. Job: But How Can Man Be Just Before God? (9:1-10:22)
  5. Zophar: Does Your Talk Justify You? (11:1-20)
  6. Job: I Know that I Shall Be Justified (12:1-14:22)

I might argue that the last statement should be broadened to better capture the main point of Job’s entire speech in chapters 12-14—I would state it as “My Dangerously Unpredictable God is More Trustworthy Than My Clearly Logical Friends”—but that would be a minor quibble. The point is that the editors of The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible give us more than the order of speeches; they attempt to state concisely the message of each speech. In doing so, they help us get farther down the road in our study of the book. And for this I applaud them.

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If You Use a Study Bible, Do it Well

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After taking a few posts to explain both the blessings and curses of study Bibles, I recently wrote about how to get the best out of your study Bible. I gave the following suggestions:

  1. Treat it as a reference work, not as your main Bible.
  2. Go heavy on overviews (book introductions) and historical background.
  3. Wrestle with the biblical text without your study Bible.
  4. Refer to the study notes when you have a specific, impenetrable question—then set them aside again.
  5. Read the articles and genre introductions.

Within a week, two other posts appeared on the internet saying very similar things. I want you to know I’m not the only one holding these opinions.

Exhibit A: Andy Naselli, Assistant Editor for the NIV Zondervan Study Bible. Writing at Desiring God, he gives these tips:

  1. Don’t use poor study Bibles.
  2. Use quality study Bibles.
  3. Don’t use the notes as a crutch or shortcut instead of wrestling with the text itself.
  4. Don’t combine the authority of the God-breathed text with the notes.
  5. Use a study Bible in the same way that you would responsibly use other resources that help you better understand and apply the Bible.

Exhibit B: Justin Taylor, Managing Editor for the ESV Study Bible. Writing at the Gospel Coalition, he makes these suggestions:

  1. Use your study Bible discerningly. (“The most important feature in a study Bible is the horizontal line that divides the biblical text from the biblical interpretation. Everything above the line is inerrant and infallible. Everything below the line is filled with good intentions but may not be true.”)
  2. Use your study Bible for more than just the notes. (“I am convinced that the most underutilized and yet important parts of a good study Bible are the introductions to each biblical book.”)
  3. Use more than one study Bible.
  4. Use your study Bible as an opportunity to interpret the Bible with the communion of saints. (“The best study Bibles don’t present startling new interpretations. They put you in dialogue with the best interpreters—teachers who are gifts of God to the church—to help us rightly handle His Word.”)

There you go. The point is not whether there should be 4 rules or 5, nor how exactly to state the rules. The point is that even the study Bible editors (who want to sell you their study Bibles) don’t want you to over-rely on their study Bibles.

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NIV Zondervan Study Bible: Too Much?

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Update: This Study Bible has since be re-named the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible.

“English-speaking people have no shortage of study Bibles,” writes Dr. D.A. Carson in his preface to the NIV Zondervan Study Bible. But do these English speakers need another one? Does the NIV Zondervan Study Bible stand out in this crowded marketplace?

What it does

NIV Zondervan Study BibleThe NIV Zondervan Study Bible (ZSB) offers a library of resources in a single volume, focusing on biblical theology—”the ways in which many important themes work their way through Scripture and come to a focus in Jesus Christ.” The body of the book contains:

  • the full text of the NIV Bible
  • study notes (commentary) on the text
  • introductions to all 66 books of the Bible
  • section introductions (wisdom books, prophetic books, gospels, etc.)
  • maps
  • charts
  • photos
  • cross-references

Between Malachi and Matthew lies a very helpful article and timeline on “The Time Between the Testaments,” which brings modern readers into the cultural shifts that took place in Israel in the centuries before the Son of God entered history.

Following this body come further resources for the curious Bible student:

  • 28 short articles on topics examined through a biblical-theological perspective
  • a 160-page concordance
  • 14 large maps indexed by location

What it does well

The ZSB has a lot of material. If you love swimming in large amounts of information about the Bible, you’ll love the ZSB.

  • The commentary generally directs your attention to the text and not merely to what others have said about the text. Tremper Longman’s notes on Daniel stand out as a prime example.
  • The book introductions have lots of historical, literary, and theological details. Along with the section introductions, they give much attention to the Bible’s storyline and historical context.
  • The 28 articles tell and re-tell the single story of the Bible (creation, fall, redemption, consummation) through different filters: Temple, City of God, Holiness, Sonship, Worship, etc.

The charts in this study Bible are outstanding. Page 197 has a full-page chart of Old Testament offerings and sacrifices, tracing the 5 main types of offerings and their materials, associated offerings, blood manipulation, portions burnt on altar, portions eaten, and purpose. Between John and Acts, a 7-page chart lists the 186 enscripturated events of Jesus’ life and places them in chronological order, with probable dates, probable locations, and references to show which Gospel records the event.

What I find unique in this study Bible, however, is the photos. Perhaps other study Bibles include color photographs, but they haven’t hit my desk. Here I can see the ruins of ancient Laodicea, the massive theater in Ephesus, the shore of the Sea of Galilee, a preserved seal impression that mentions Baruch son of Neriah, a carved ivory of a chariot with horses, and a branch of hyssop. If you are a visual learner, you will love this study Bible.

I must also mention that Kevin DeYoung shines brightly over a sea of bland academese. One gets used to phrases like “The essential concerns,” “a regular part of life in ancient Israel,” and “among significant theological concepts, few are as fundamental and comprehensive in scope as….” But hitting DeYoung’s article on “Sin” is like voluntary shock therapy:

Sin is another name for that hideous rebellion, that God-defiance, that wretched opposition to the Creator that crouches at the door of every fallen human heart. Sin is both a condition, inherited from Adam, and an action—manifesting itself in thought, word, and deed—that when full-grown gives birth to death.

Would that more scholars wrote like this!

What could be better

The massive amounts of information may be this Bible’s greatest detraction. At almost 2900 pages, this is the largest study Bible I’ve handled. It’s huge and heavy, and unfortunately wordy.

  • In a world of search engines, do folks still use concordances? This Bible could have dropped a quarter of an inch right there.
  • The book introductions are long (usually 6-8 pages), and their length limits their usefulness. For example, you might want to know what 1 John is about. The answer is here to be found (“1 John was written to bolster their assurance by providing criteria they could use to evaluate the spurious claims of the secessionists and with which they could reassure themselves”), but it’s buried on the second page in the middle of a long paragraph.
  • The 28 articles at the end are concise in themselves, but they get repetitive when read one after another. I’m not clear on the need for separate articles on “The Glory of God,” “Worship,” and “Mission.” Or “Holiness” and “Justice.” Or “Love and Grace” and “The Gospel.”

The ZSB’s Assistant Editor, Andrew Naselli, recently claimed this volume to be one of the two best study Bibles on the market. If you’re totally juiced by color photographs of ancient ruins and archaeological finds, go for this one. If not, I suggest you’re better off with the other one.

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Top 10 Blessings of Study Bibles

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When I graduated from high school, my parents bought me an NIV Study Bible with a shiny blue protective cover. I knew I was in the big league with this thing. I could take my Bible and not merely read it; now I felt fully equipped to study it.

I still get excited by new study Bibles. When I first got my ESV Study Bible, I kept staying up late to read it. Now that I blog about Bible study, most publishers give me free copies for review. I just finished reviewing the Reformation Study Bible. In the last week, I acquired both the NIV Zondervan Study Bible and the Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible (reviews will take a few weeks). Eventually I’d like to write a post comparing and contrasting these study Bibles (and more), recommending the ones that best promote OIA Bible study.

As I immerse myself in study Bibles, I’m reminded of the many blessings we have at our fingertips in the English-speaking world. Here are what I consider to be the top 10 blessings of study Bibles.

1. One-stop shop

Study Bibles collate the best pieces of a wide variety of resources. Unless you must dig exceptionally deep, there’s no need for a Bible atlas, Bible dictionary, dictionary of theology, library of commentaries, archaeological papers, exhaustive concordance, church histories, or systematic theologies. These are all good resources, and they come in handy for higher-level students. But for the average Christian, a good study Bible can replace a small library and still address the essentials.

2. Quick answers to straightforward questions

I’m studying Job, and I’m confused by Behemoth and Leviathan mentioned in chapters 40-41. I want to know the different ways interpreters have understood these two poetic figures. I open my study Bible, find the text, and get a quick survey of different answers.

3. Book introductions

I use study Bibles for this purpose more than any other. If I want to become familiar with the main point and themes of a book, I read the book 10-20 times. But if I want to understand all the historical things an original reader would already know about the situation in which the book was written, I read a concise book introduction in a study Bible. Who wrote 1 Chronicles? When was Galatians written relative to Paul’s other letters? What first-century situation did Revelation address?

4. Historical background

This point is similar to #3, but on the level of verses or chapters instead of books. Study Bible notes excel at placing key historical information in the right spots to help you get what’s going on. For example, how far was Joseph and Mary’s trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem? How long would it have taken? Why couldn’t they just stay in Nazareth for the census?

5. Maps

Unless you grew up in the Middle East, you need to look at maps when you study the Bible. My favorite study Bible maps are in full color, but the less expensive options do them in black and white.

6. Charts

Sometimes I like making my own charts; it helps me retain the information better. Once I created two timelines of the Kings of Israel and Judah—one from 1&2 Kings and another one from 1&2 Chronicles—and tried to understand the similarities and differences between them. But I’m no graphic artist, and others make such charts much more visually appealing.

7. Articles

Not every study Bible has articles in it, but those that do try to make them useful. Introduction to the Prophets. How to read the Bible. Key heresies from church history. Why different Bible manuscripts say different things. The challenge, however, is to remember that your study Bible has these articles in it. Otherwise, you can spend a lot of time searching  Google for something worthwhile on a topic that comes up.

8. Illustrations/Photos

Similar to maps and charts, good illustrations stimulate visual learners. What would Noah’s ark look like next to a football field? How was Moses’ tabernacle or Solomon’s temple laid out? And here’s a sneak peek of my reactions to the NIV Zondervan Study Bible: Photographs! Why haven’t I seen other study Bibles that put real photographs on the page? I can see a threshing sledge, a cedar of Lebanon, a dead sea scroll, a signet ring, and a view of Samaria from the north. This is genius.

9. Verbal clarification

Don’t miss out on untranslatable word plays. (Why do people keep laughing when they hear about baby Isaac?) Don’t get confused by Hebrew or Greek idioms. (Does a man sleep with his fathers because the Supreme Court legalized it?) Don’t get caught buying into common misunderstandings. (Because God knows the plans he has for you.) Study Bibles thrive on clarifying the meanings of words and short phrases.

10. Teams of editors

Usually, a commentary is written by a single scholar. Like it or not, you get a single perspective on the text. Granted, the commentator still has an editor, but the editor is most likely better at writing and grammar than at theology and interpretation. Study Bibles still have individuals working on particular sets of study notes, but teams of editors review the whole and create alignment among the parts. Such spreading out of responsibility usually makes the product more cogent.

Let’s praise God for these incredible blessings, while keeping them in perspective. Next week, I’ll list the top 10 curses of study Bibles.

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Disclaimer: While the blog post above was authored c.2015 CE, the Amazonian links had affiliations. Such links enabled inhabitants of the 21st century to provide patronage for the web logs they read, with nothing extra added to the cost of their purchases. It was common for internet writers to use such affiliations to cover the expenses of their hosting services.