Unbiased Study Bible?

[ChicanaRose]

What is the least biased study Bible?

I've been shopping around and it seems that every time I read the reviews, there is at least one reviewer warning against it as being biased.

 

[Tree of Life]

There is no unbiased study Bible. Just pick one with the correct bias.

 

[SeventyOne]

The least biased would be to learn the original languages and study raw manuscript data. The best most of us can do is try to find those most true to the original text and most certainly try to stay away fro those the seek to paraphrase the original test rather than seeking to stay true to the text.

 

[Ttalkkugjil]

What is the least biased study Bible?

I've been shopping around and it seems that every time I read the reviews, there is at least one reviewer warning against it as being biased.

All study Bibles carry biases. Even those that use the NLV text.

 

[Anto9us]

unbiased study bible = oxymoron

 

[-Sasha-]

I think anything which involves including interpretations and commentary will include some degree of bias. One thing I have enjoyed is reading early Christian homilies on the Scripture instead of a Bible with commentary included. You can find a lot of the homilies free online, or you can purchase compilations in books. (Ex. Homilies from St. Basil, St. Cyril, Sts. Gregory of Nazianzus and Nyssa, etc.)

 

[Of the Kingdom]

I was hoping to find a study Bible using the WEB translation, but got sidetracked and saw a statement by the translator (Michael Johnson) in a usenet faq:

This FAQ is biased. It reflects the author's Christian beliefs, reverence for God, and a great respect for God's Holy Word, the Bible. I believe that the Holy Bible was inspired by God, who had His servants speak, write, and preserve His word. The Bible reflects the style of the many people involved, but it is from God, and should be respected as such.

This FAQ is also incomplete, and may contain typos or other errors. If you have a suggestion for improving it, please email me

There are many online sources and computer programs which include more study material than you could find in a whole roomful of books. That said, while I hope you consider installing and using some of this software, there is a desire to have a physical book with the basics, which is easier to use, at least in some contexts.

I suggest YouVersion for your phone and TheWord for your computer. For the phyical copy, I suggest looking at christianbook.com and asking about the ones that interest you. If you think one of the targeted study bibles (youth, women, recovery, etc.) would help you, I'd say go for it. If not, it is probably worth the effort to get one with a "reasonable" doctrinal orientation and not-too-heavy interpretation.

 

[-Sasha-]

Sort of funny, I have the book "The Bible and the Holy Fathers for Orthodox" which contains daily Scripture readings and some excerpts from various sources. Part of yesterday's readings included the following quote from Sts. Barsanuphius and John:
"Silence of the lips is better and more wonderful than any edifying conversation. Our fathers embraced it with reverence and were glorified through it. But since, in our weakness, we cannot yet follow the path of the perfect, let us talk of what edifies, and speak of such things with reference to the words of the fathers, without undertaking to interpret the Scriptures; for this latter is fraught with dangers for the ignorant. The Scriptures are written in the language of the spirit, and men of the flesh cannot understand spiritual things. It is best to use the words of the fathers in our conversations; then we shall find the profit they contain."
(This was added as a note on Proverbs 21:23, Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.)

 

[thecolorsblend]

We're talking about an ancient dead language and translating that into an active modern one. That discipline is an art; not a science.

While some translations are bound to be better than others, I think perfection will remain elusive.

 

[Of the Kingdom]

"words of the fathers"

Funny, indeed. While many of the writings of the early church fathers are very useful, I would have more confidence in the words of Jesus or even Paul.

 

[Romans 8]

Mathew Henry has the best bible commentary in both the known and unknown universe. It's also beats anything beyond time and space!!

 

[Jonaitis]

What is the least biased study Bible?

I've been shopping around and it seems that every time I read the reviews, there is at least one reviewer warning against it as being biased.

I've never seen a study bible with the least bias, sorry.

As a present for my younger brother who is new in the faith I bought him the Reformation Study Bible. The latest edition is better and more expanded than the one I bought many years ago.

 

[-Sasha-]

"words of the fathers"

Funny, indeed. While many of the writings of the early church fathers are very useful, I would have more confidence in the words of Jesus or even Paul.

I think the point isn't that we shouldn't have confidence in the words contained in Scripture, but that if we aren't spiritually experienced, that is, if we are far from God, we will be likely to misunderstand them and put ourselves in a precarious position. If we misunderstand the words of Jesus, we are attributing wrong ideas to God whom we know as Truth. If we misunderstand the words of the fathers, it is less spiritually dangerous because we are attributing these wrong ideas to men, whom we know to be fallible.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

What is the least biased study Bible?

I've been shopping around and it seems that every time I read the reviews, there is at least one reviewer warning against it as being biased.

Study bible without bias has no liner notes, and is in the original language.

.. and is the exact text from the original manuscripts the apostles used.

 

[com7fy8]

What is the least biased study Bible?

A humble senior Christian who has matured in Jesus for decades.

And I would say > you are not perfect, yourself; so this can effect how well you evaluate what you choose to read. Be aware of your own motives and biases. And you can get to know the Bible so you can see what is bias in a commentary. See if and how a writer has the overall perspective of God's word, versus if the person concentrates maybe almost always of proving some one point or a few items which are "fingerprints" on the person's preaching and teaching.

Ones to watch out for are ones who >

> spend most of their attention on pointing out how others are wrong, and how things in this world are wrong, and they do little if anything to make you wise to how they themselves can be wrong and deceptive. My opinion is that when an example leader gets real correction, he or she will want to help you by telling you how he or she has so benefited from God's correction.

> talk mainly about all God has for you, not much at all about how we can please God, and how He is conforming us to the image of His Son so we become pleasing to Him like His Son Jesus is so pleasing.

I've been shopping around and it seems that every time I read the reviews, there is at least one reviewer warning against it as being biased.

The reviewer might be wrong, for all I know. Let someone give you what is obviously right, instead of pointing at others and claiming they are wrong. If someone says someone is biased, I think it is reasonable to expect the reviewer to make it clear what is claimed to be biased.

You need to grow in Jesus so you get better at telling the difference.

"Test all things; hold fast what is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

 

[_Dave_]

What is the least biased study Bible?

I've been shopping around and it seems that every time I read the reviews, there is at least one reviewer warning against it as being biased.

Like others here I agree that there is no such thing as an unbiased study Bible. I'll go so far, in fact, as to suggest that you need a biased study Bible.

The question is: Is the study Bible you choose biased toward correct interpretation, and does that interpretation reflect your own personal biases? I'm not talking about the text itself, but the references and notes.

I have a number of study Bibles that I like. They all agree with each other and with my own style of interpretation on the major doctrinal issues, and only very slightly disagree on some of the minor technicalities. When I look at a study Bible that has commentaries and notes that veer away from correct interpretation it stands out like a sore thumb.

 

[GodLovesCats]

The least biased would be to learn the original languages and study raw manuscript data. The best most of us can do is try to find those most true to the original text and most certainly try to stay away fro those the seek to paraphrase the original test rather than seeking to stay true to the text.

By paraphrase are you referring to Bible versions that exist to be easier to read than the ancient KJV?

 

[SeventyOne]

By paraphrase are you referring to Bible versions that exist to be easier to read than the ancient KJV?

I referencing those which tend to convey what the translators think the text may be inferring rather than what trying to convey what the text actually states in a lucid manner.

 

[icxn]

Funny, indeed. While many of the writings of the early church fathers are very useful, I would have more confidence in the words of Jesus or even Paul.

They too had confidence in the words of our Lord as well as the Apostles, they also spoke the language of the scriptures, not to mention they also lived in close proximity - time and place wise - where the former preached.

 

[DamianWarS]

What is the least biased study Bible?

I've been shopping around and it seems that every time I read the reviews, there is at least one reviewer warning against it as being biased.

buy a bunch of them, read them all, then through them develop a popular or general consensus as to their meaning. The ones with ideas that are rare or not repeated are more controversial, the ones that are common are better accepted but both represent a bias (the latter could just be a bias of the popular understanding).

Often just reading the text you can see it's meaning pretty clearly (but of course with your own bias), throw that in the mix and see how it stacks up against the others.

Also use a bunch of translations and thow in the original languages with them (comparing, of course, them with contrasting original texts). another good resource is simply asking people of different traditions (like in CF) then you can figure out what other people think of it too.... basically it will take you a month to get through 1 verse.