esv bible Archives - Notes From the Parsonage

Omega Heirloom Bible Review

notesfromtheparsonage — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 22:52:00 +0000

The Omega Heirloom Bible from Crossway is a premium Bible that feels fantastic in hand and reads so clearly. Let’s take a closer look!

Crossway sent me this beautiful Bible from their premium Bible collection. At first, I was thinking it would be exactly like the Alpha Edition Heirloom Bible, but I was wrong! While similar, this Bible is uniquely different.

Bible Packaging

This Bible comes in the two piece black box from Crossway. Inside, you’ll find a velvet wrap for the Bible itself. It is so beautifully packaged. You can’t see this bit, but the smell of the leather really hits you when you open the box!

As always, Crossway’s Heirloom Bibles have a lifetime warranty. This is a Bible meant to last forever. It is meant to become an heirloom.

Omega Heirloom Bible Exterior Features

This particular Bible does come with two cover options. You can choose from the black goatskin option or this dark brown slick Wellington Leather. The Wellington leather cover does get marks from wear, but I actually like that a lot more. I love the look of worn leather, and I can’t wait to see this beautiful leather fully worn.

I know the worn leather and how easily it scratches might bother some people. Think about that slick leather getting a scratch. If you are annoyed by that thought, maybe go for the black goatskin cover.

The spine has those raised lines across it. The words on the spine are pressed into the leather, not printed onto the leather.

This Bible comes with ample ribbon markers! It has four and they are different colors, which I love. You have black, white, dark brown, and a medium brown.

The gilded edges are those that are gold with the red undertone– you know which ones I mean. When you flip the pages you get this flash of like a rose gold type color.

This Bible is a thin line style Bible. It is larger than the Alpha Heirloom Bible. The official measurements are 6.125″ x 9.125″. As you can tell in the pictures, it is thin. What you can’t tell is the slight floppiness of it. (For some reason, every Bible that arrives in this house, The Pastor grabs it and shakes it to see how it feels in the hand when you get fired up preaching and start shaking the Bible at people.)

Omega Heirloom Bible Interior Features

The interior of this Bible is beautiful. It is double column in a very easy-to-read 10.5 point font. You can see it contains cross-references but not study notes. The spacing of the letters and words is excellent and makes for a very comfortable and easy read.

As far as extra features, this Bible is pretty simple. It contains front dedication, marriage, birth, and death pages that are a thicker and slicker paper than the rest of the Bible. There is a good sized concordance in the back. Several full color Bible maps on thick, slicker paper are also in the back. That is really all of the extras there are.

I also need to talk about the paper itself. This European paper they use in their premium Bibles is just next level. It is so smooth and the pages don’t stick together at all. But it is also thin, like Bible paper should be. It isn’t something you can really photograph, so you’ll just have to believe me. (Unless you happen to be over at the parsonage for some reason and then you can feel it for yourself!)

Thoughts on the Omega Heirloom Bible

The size of this Bible is The Pastor’s preferred size of preaching Bible. That is where I can see this being the right Bible. This is an excellent everyday preaching Bible for a Pastor, Teacher, or Missionary. It isn’t a study Bible, but you can study this Bible (especially with all the cross references). There isn’t really room for notes in the Bible. The ease-of-reading and size make this a very ideal Bible for teaching and preaching.

My husband’s first preaching Bible was just a standard thin line leather Bible. It was a fine Bible (though no one wrote on the dedication page, which always broke my heart a little– always write on the dedication page), but it didn’t last. About fifteen years into ministry, pages were falling out and the Bible was falling apart. It was hard for him to let go of that Bible because it meant so much to him. And it made me sad that he didn’t have a better Bible to begin with.

That is why I think all preachers should be gifted an amazing premium Bible. It is a heartfelt way to put your endorsement behind their calling. It is a meaningful thing to do that is also useful for them. I can just imagine how beautifully worn this Bible could be over a lifetime of service to Jesus. Even 15 years in, it isn’t too late to get a nice Bible for sharing the Word to the world.

This is probably not the Bible for everyone. It isn’t the Bible for me. I need space to write. I want study notes. I’m not a nice, compact simple Bible type. I’m married to the nice, compact simple Bible type. So, just because it isn’t for me doesn’t mean it isn’t an amazing Bible.

Things I Have to Say

This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate links are a great way to support your favorite content creators. We make a small commission when you buy things using these links.

The post Omega Heirloom Bible Review appeared first on Notes From the Parsonage.

ESV Interleaved Journaling Bible Review

notesfromtheparsonage — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 22:03:27 +0000

Is the ESV Interleaved Journaling Bible right for you? Let’s find out!

The ESV Interleaved Journaling Bible was a joy to review! Crossway sent me this beautiful journaling Bible to review. I have had this Bible before. I have personally purchased a different color version of this Bible myself several years ago as my first journaling Bible.

It comes in a box, so it is really nice for gifting. This cover is the Natural Brown Leather (Amazon) with flap and straps. It also comes in a leather-look cover with a cross (Amazon). They don’t make the plain natural cloth cover that I purchased years ago.

When it arrives, the strap is not on the cover. No worries! The strap is in a plastic bag under the Bible. It is super simple to put on.

This cover also features a pen holder on the inside of the flap! You can easily place you pen or highlighter for grab and go study!

My favorite feature of this Bible is that every other page is completely blank! This is my preferred style of journaling Bible for artistic Bible journaling. You’ll never have to worry about covering or not being able to read the Scriptures! You get a full page (the front and back are blank) to create without having to cover the Scripture. It is also great for journaling your Bible study or taking sermon notes.

Now, this Bible is quite thick. Since every other page is blank– that is double the Bible pages! The paper is a standard Bible paper. For that reason, I only paint on one side of mine and leave the other side completely blank. You’d get a lot more use if you use both sides, but I didn’t want to obsess about ghosting and bleed through since I usually Bible journal with watercolor or India ink –which does work perfectly fine on this paper– you just have to be a little water conscious with your watercolor and not go too wet. I also place a blank sheet of printer paper behind the page I’m painting so if there is bleed through, it doesn’t get on the Scripture pages. (Here is a link to my Amazon Idea List for Bible Journaling.)

This is an example of painting in this Bible. This is from my previous ESV Interleaved Journaling Bible that I have had for a few years. (And I do not claim to be an artist, but I find art Bible Journaling fun and find it helps me meditate on Scripture in quite a different way.)

You can see that if you aren’t water conscious when using watercolor, you can ripple the paper a bit. However, with every other page blank– this literally only effects this page. No Scripture is distorted since the back is a blank page.

This Bible does not have any extras. It has one ribbon marker (super sad face). It is a pretty basic Bible. No notes, maps, study guides, etc. Just Scripture and blank space to create or write.

Would I recommend the ESV Interleaved Journaling Bible?

Yes! For art Bible journaling– I HIGHLY recommend this Bible! If you’re wanting to take huge amounts of study notes– I HIGHLY recommend this Bible! People who take extensive sermon notes– I HIGHLY recommend this Bible for them! But as a daily study Bible, this would likely be a bad choice. It also would make a pretty terrible preaching Bible with the size, layout, and the cover and straps would be cumbersome.

ESV Student Study Bible Review

notesfromtheparsonage — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 18:46:05 +0000

Is a Student Study Bible the right choice for you? If you’re a preteen, teen, or young adult looking for content that helps you understand the Bible as you read, then maybe!

Let’s look at this Student Study Bible!

Crossway sent me this awesome Student Study Bible to review. It comes in 14 different cover designs! I chose the Joshua Noom Artist cover because that is what appealed to my fifteen-year-old son. The hardcover versions are super pretty, but keep in mind they aren’t as durable as a leather cover (which isn’t available for this Bible) or even the TruTone covers. You’ll want to be a little more careful with it if you want it to last because they are not as sturdy in my experience as the real leather covers. If you usually replace yo u r Bible every couple years, this won’t be a problem at all. Though they do have a lifetime guarantee if something were to happen to your Bible.

This student study Bible came in this slip box case, which makes it nice for gifting. (Different cover options have different packaging. So if the packaging matters to you, make sure you double check on the Crossway website what cover has what packaging.)

Sadly, it has one ribbon marker. I prefer a lot of markers in my Bible, but the manufacturers aren’t in on that game just yet. The paper is thin, like typical Bible paper. I do find that it “sticks” together quite a bit, making one handed page turning a bit troublesome, especially at first. Once you use it a little bit, the sticking does stop as the pages get unstuck and then don’t restock. You can also see some ghosting through the page, but I don’t think it makes it unreadable.

Each book in this study Bible has an introduction to the chapter with an outline and information about the book.

Some of the introductions include a small printed map.

There are 15 full-color maps in the back, as well. These are on thicker, slightly glossy, cardstock weight paper.

A Closer Look at the “Extras”

There are notes and cross-references throughout, making personal Bible study for young people much easier. There is nothing really in here that screams “teenager” to me. It all seems to be a pretty straightforward study Bible. Nothing seems to be written “down” to teens or focuses on teen angst, teen problems, etc. The notes are simply written in a way any lay person would better understand the Bible.

There are several articles in the back to help understand the Bible, theology, and doctrine. All of these would be helpful to any student or new believer. I think there are books that delve into the topics deeper, but for an introductory note about how to study the Bible or the reliability of Scripture– this provides a great starting point.

There is also a rather large concordance and glossary in the back of this Bible. (And a page of weights and measures.)

Would I recommend the ESV Student Study Bible?

Yes, absolutely! I would feel comfortable putting this Student Study Bible in the hands of any middle school, high school, or college student. My fifteen-year-old has really been enjoying it. The translation is a good one for Bible study. The notes are helpful for self-study. This is a great Bible option for anyone, though since it says “students”, I’d likely just stick to teens and young adults. The Personal Study Bible would be a great option for non-students looking for something similar.

Where should I buy the ESV Student Study Bible?

I highly recommend purchasing Bibles from Christian Book. Their prices are so much cheaper than everywhere else. Their shipping does take longer, though. So if you are in a hurry, Amazon may be a better option. You can also purchase directly from Crossway. If you purchase directly from Crossway, make sure you register for a free Crossway+ Membership to get 30% off.

Heirloom Bible, Heritage Edition Review

notesfromtheparsonage — Sat, 02 Jul 2022 19:25:37 +0000

Is the Heritage Edition Heirloom Bible right for you? Let’s find out!

I received the beautiful Heritage Edition Heirloom Bible in English Standard Version to review from Crossway. This one only comes in black goatskin leather. Since it is the Heirloom line, it is quite a bit more expensive than other Bibles, but has some super nice touches that make it well worth the price.

This particular Heirloom Bible is a slightly smaller size than the others in the line. It measures 5.5″ x 8.25″ which makes it very close to being “personal” sized. (I love the ESV Personal Size Study Bible! You can read that review here.) It is a little more compact than a standard size, but not quite small enough to be a compact size.

The goatskin leather cover is super soft and floppy right out of the box. The floppiness only increases as you use it. This one isn’t quite as plush feeling as the other Heirloom Bibles we’ve had. Some of the other have literally been a squishy texture. The Heritage Edition Heirloom Bible is more of a slick, textured leather feel.

The paper on this Bible is super crisp. It is thin, but not that super thin “this is going to rip at any second” type of thin. I do expect it to hold up quite well. It is also a very crisp white color with edges that are coppery gilded. (I’d say gold, but it has a definite red tint.) It has really high quality binding! And get this, these Heirloom Bibles come with a lifetime guarantee!

The layout is easy to read and easy on the eyes. The single column format with decent margins and line spacing make it easy to keep your place. It also has line matching from the left top right page. It reads very similarly to the Preaching Bible, but is a little smaller in size.

Features of This Bible

This Bible does not have red letters. There are small footnotes, but nothing extensive. There really isn’t much in this Heirloom Bible in terms of “extras”– no diagrams, study notes, cross references, glossary, concordance, etc. It does have some full-color maps in the back, a dedication page in the front, small marriage record (5) , small birth record (7), and small death record(7). Honestly, for an Heirloom Bible, I feel it should have much more space for births, marriages, and deaths or have none at all. It seems weird to have such a small space in a Bible intended to use forever for such monumental things. But overall it is a very simple, easy to read Bible.

Of course, the best part of this Bible, like all the Heirloom Bibles, are the four ribbon markers! I think my ideal would be six ribbons, but only because I’m a little extra. Four ribbons allows you to mark the Old Testament, Psalms, Gospel, and New Testament Letters all at the same time. Such a great feature! All Bibles should have AT LEAST four ribbon markers.

Do I recommend the Heritage Edition of the ESV Heirloom Study Bible?

Yes! This is an excellent Bible for anyone looking for a simple Bible that isn’t massive and will last a lifetime. This will be the one you’d pass on to your grandkids. I’ve said it before, but anyone entering into ministry should be gifted one of these nice, lifetime legacy type Bibles for use during their entire ministry. It is so sad for a pastor to have his first preaching Bible fall apart and become unusable a decade into ministry– which is exactly what will happen to that thinline bonded leather one they’re usually gifted. Investing in an Heirloom Bible to last their whole ministry is such a thoughtful gift and testament to how far you think their ministry will go.

Should you buy an ESV Heirloom Bible?

It is up to you! Do you need super expensive Bible? No. Absolutely not. We live in a time where we have access to different versions, different covers, and even different media of God’s Word to us. I consider myself so blessed and privileged to have so many options. Does this Bible have features and quality that make the price tag worth it? Absolutely.

ESV Pocket Bible Review

notesfromtheparsonage — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 10:03:23 +0000

Is the ESV Pocket Bible the right choice for you? Let’s take a closer look and find out!

The ESV Pocket Bible might be tiny, but it is definitely a great Bible choice! The nice people over at Crossway sent me this tiny little Bible to review. It is tiny! It is 3.5″ wide and 5.5″ tall and an inch thick! Tiny! I have the deep brown buffalo leather cover (more about that later), but it also comes in several TruTone covers (chestnut, black, and turquoise). This Bible is smaller than my hand! (And I have small hands!)

This is an entire Bible in your pocket! It isn’t just the New Testament, as many pocket style Bibles are. It contains the whole thing! And the font is surprisingly readable! Six-point font seems so small, but I have had no problem reading the text. It is double column with no notes at all. The simplicity of the Bible lends to the readability at such a small size.

The paper is thin, but not so thin you see too much of the opposite side while reading. (There is a small amount of ghosting, but I find that true of all Bible paper.) This pocket Bible has zero extras. Zero frills. Just the entire Bible in a small, readable size.

The buffalo leather cover is really something to write home about! In fact, it is probably my favorite feature of this tiny Bible. So while you could go with a cheaper TruTone cover, the buffalo leather is truly impressive. The edges are raw and the leather does have a slightly embossed pattern. It isn’t floppy like real leather Bibles typically are because of the small size. This buffalo leather is going to weather so beautifully! With a Bible you can slip into your blue jeans pocket, it’ll definitely get some wear and tear and this leather is only going to look better and better as that happens!

It has one single ribbon marker to mark your place. While I’m usually a fan of tons of ribbon markers in a Bible, the single marker is really all you could reasonably put into a Bible this small. I mean, I would have tried to get at least 3 more in– but I understand their restraint in that area.

It does have a “presentation” page, so it would be great for a gift. And it comes (at least the buffalo leather version) in a small box. It is perfect for gifting!

This is a great Bible for pastors. It is small enough to tuck into a pocket for ministering on the go. Easy to take to the hospital, the jail, or just to someone’s home on visitation. I’m not sure they’d like preaching from this one, but it is great to have on hand for those “on the go” pastoral needs. It would also be a great Bible for counselors, lay ministers, chaplains– basically anyone ministering on the go.

Do I recommend the ESV Pocket Bible?

Yes! I highly recommend it! It isn’t flashy. There are no extras. It is just such a well made Bible at such a convenient size! And it is super affordable!

ESV Personal Study Bible Review

notesfromtheparsonage — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 17:17:37 +0000

The Personal Study Bible has quickly become my favorite Bible! It has all the extras that I need as I study and the perfect size for holding or setting on the table while I annotate away.

Crossway sent me the ESV Personal Size Study Bible to review. I’m not obligated to give it a favorable review. So when I say this is my favorite Bible of all time, it has nothing to do with it being sent to me. It is just a fantastic Bible. (Even the Pastor is jealous.)

I got the Black Genuine Leather version. But it comes in six other cover options. There is a really pretty turquoise version that is too cute. Or a TruTone brown that looks awesome, as well. The leather cover option comes in the box shown– other covers may be packaged differently.

My favorite aspect of this Bible is the size. It is the perfect size. Substantial without being massive. It is very thick, don’t get me wrong. But it isn’t flopping all over the place while I read with a baby in my lap. (And these Le Pens are perfect for Bible study. They are a great size and don’t bleed through the pages. Great for underlining, circling, and writing notes.) (Mug is from Anthropologie.)

I also love the single column layout. That is my personal preference. It also has cross references in the center margin, which I love. And it has study notes at the bottom of the page. These notes are so incredibly helpful in personal study. You might be anti-study notes, but I like them.

It also contains maps, charts, and images as you go. That was incredibly helpful when reading through Joshua. It gave me a concrete image of all those promises fulfilled.

Each book also has a pretty detailed introduction. It lets you know the context of the book. Who wrote this? Why did they write this? Where are the places? What is the outline of the book? I have found these introductions to be helpful when diving into a new book.

There are also so many resources in the back: God’s Plan of Salvation, Biblical Doctrine, Biblical Ethics, Interpreting the Bible, Reading the Bible, The Canon of Scripture, The Reliability of Bible Manuscripts, Archaeology and the Bible, The Original Languages of the Bible, The Septuagint, How the New Testament Quotes and Interprets the Old Testament, The Bible in Christianity, The Bible and World Religions, The Bible and Religious Cults, History of Salvation in the Old Testament, Charts and Diagrams Index, Map Index, Concordance, Weights and Measures, and Full Color Maps.

The only part about this Bible that could be improved is the lack of ribbon markers. This fantastic Bible only has 1. (You know my ideal is 4.) But have no fear, I’m already at work tricking this beauty out to make up for the lack of ribbons.

I’ve already added these lovely Bible tabs (Storm) from Find Wondrous Things. (I’ll be discussing Bible tabs sometime soon. I’ve been buying, applying, and will be reviewing them in the near future.) (This mug is from Ethan Nicolle’s store.)

Do I recommend the ESV Personal Study Bible?

Absolutely! This is an excellent Bible for new and old believers alike. The size is perfect for study. No tiny print. But not so tall and wide it gets awkward. I absolutely love it. As usual, the cheapest place to buy this Bible is Christian Book Distributors.

ESV Bible with Creeds and Confessions Review

notesfromtheparsonage — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 14:09:25 +0000

Is the Bible with Creeds and Confessions the right Bible for you? Let’s look at the pictures and features and see!

Crossway sent me this Bible with Creeds and Confessions to review. It is a standard ESV Bible with Creeds at the end of the Bible. I received the imitation leather version, which looks really nice. I was honestly surprised at how nice the cover is, because I’m usually not a fan of imitation leather. It also comes in a hardback imitation leather cover and a goatskin leather version.

I don’t think the pictures do it justice. It feels really nice in the hand. It also has 2 ribbon markers. You know me, the more ribbon markers– the better! And 2 ribbons is halfway to my ideal of 4 ribbon markers. I should also mention it comes with Crossway’s lifetime warranty!

The actual Scripture is very easy to read. Double columns with 10 point font and references throughout. It is very readable.

Bible with Creeds and Confessions Extra Features

Is this the Bible for you?

The selling point of this Bible is the Creeds and Confessions. However, it just falls a bit short– especially if you aren’t Reformed. A Reformed homeschool mom would probably LOVE this Bible. I am not Reformed. So I don’t. I like the Scripture part. The feel of the Bible is extraordinary. I love the readability. However, the Creeds and Confessions portion is just… lack luster.

I really thought there would be more statements and parts of the Creeds woven into the Scripture in the form of notes. But it is just a collection placed in the back of the Bible.

Who knows, this Bible might be EXACTLY what you’re looking for. If you’re Wesley Armenian… it probably is not.

The quality is outstanding. I really can’t say that enough. The readability and references in the Bible portion of this Bible are amazing! I’m just not Reformed, so I don’t care to have so much focus on Reformed confessions and catechism.

This Bible was sent to me free for review. I am not obligated to review it favorably or say anything specific about it, other than my own thoughts. Links in this post may be affiliate links, which do help me out.

Crossway Heirloom Study Bible Review

notesfromtheparsonage — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 10:52:05 +0000

The pictures of this Bible aren’t going to do it justice. You really have to hold this Bible in your hands to appreciate it fully. I’m pretty much going to let the photos do most of the talking. This is the ESV Heirloom Bible by Crossway. The cover is goatskin. It has four (!) ribbon markers. There are so many extras in this Bible. It is pretty big. This is not a compact Bible by any means. This is the big, fat Bible of your grandparents. And this one will last that long, too.

This is a study Bible. It has so many maps, charts, articles, and features. It is amazingly packed full of anything they could think of that would help you better understand the Word of God. The articles and insights are thoroughly Biblical. If you’re more liberal leaning, this will likely not make you very happy.

When I said packed with extras, I really meant it. It is PACKED with extras. The Pastor has been using this Bible as a preaching Bible for a few months now. (His preaching Bible fell apart at the end of last year. He preached the cover right off!) While this Bible is a bit large and weighty for a preaching Bible, I highly recommend anyone in the ministry to get a high-quality Bible like this one that won’t fall apart on you with excessive use.

** I was sent this Bible for no cost. I do use affiliate links to help support this blog.**

The post Crossway Heirloom Study Bible Review appeared first on Notes From the Parsonage.