Is Minister's Name on Bible Ethical?

[godisagardener]

Some big church ministers have come out with study Bibles featuring their own notes. There's the Jeremiah Study Bible, The MacArthur Study Bible; Joyce Meyer has an Everyday Life Bible. There's a Tony Evans Study Bible.

Do you think it's ethical for a minister, preacher -- anyone -- to attach their name to the Bible?

 

[Paidiske]

I think it's good to be transparent about who's authored the commentary/notes.

 

[SeventhFisherofMen]

as long as there is a clear distinction between Bible and commentator notes i see nothing wrong, just they have to stand before God with what they wrote in commenting on the Bible, and that is between them and God if what they wrote misled anyone.

 

[Hammster]

Some big church ministers have come out with study Bibles featuring their own notes. There's the Jeremiah Study Bible, The MacArthur Study Bible; Joyce Meyer has an Everyday Life Bible. There's a Tony Evans Study Bible.

Do you think it's ethical for a minister, preacher -- anyone -- to attach their name to the Bible?

I don’t see anything unethical about it. I think it conveys that the study helps are done by the minister whose name is attached.

 

[WolfGate]

I see no problem. In many ways it helps to better understand potential biases of the commentator because there are other writings they have done which show us their opinions and stances.

 

[godisagardener]

All of these replies make sense. At times though I wonder at the reasons behind a "such and such person's study Bible". They can all -- and many do -- write their own study books, separate from the Bible. It just seems that putting their name on a Bible, and including their notes, is one more way of making money, of getting a piece of the action as it were.

 

[Hammster]

All of these replies make sense. At times though I wonder at the reasons behind a "such and such person's study Bible". They can all -- and many do -- write their own study books, separate from the Bible. It just seems that putting their name on a Bible, and including their notes, is one more way of making money, of getting a piece of the action as it were.

There’s no sin in making money.

 

[Paidiske]

All of these replies make sense. At times though I wonder at the reasons behind a "such and such person's study Bible". They can all -- and many do -- write their own study books, separate from the Bible. It just seems that putting their name on a Bible, and including their notes, is one more way of making money, of getting a piece of the action as it were.

Perhaps. But there's high demand for study Bibles; a lot of people find value in having a basic commentary in the same book as Scripture. They wouldn't sell if people didn't want them. By the same token, putting together comprehensive notes for a full study Bible is a huge amount of work; why not have that work recognised and compensated?

 

[ViaCrucis]

Some big church ministers have come out with study Bibles featuring their own notes. There's the Jeremiah Study Bible, The MacArthur Study Bible; Joyce Meyer has an Everyday Life Bible. There's a Tony Evans Study Bible.

Do you think it's ethical for a minister, preacher -- anyone -- to attach their name to the Bible?

Unethical? No. It's a study Bible with a focus on the teaching material of a particular theologian or pastor.

Is it tacky? Maybe. Should people, generally, be pretty cautious about trusting what just one famous preacher has to say about what the Bible says? Oh, definitely.

I don't know that one can call it unethical though.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[FreeinChrist]

ADVISOR HAT

This thread was moved from Ethics & Morality, which is not Christian Only, to this forum. ​