[.ca] New American Standard Bible - NASB - New International ... (ISBN 0736900225)

Caveat Emptor-Let the Buyer Beware.:
I have used the original NASB Inductive Study Bible for some years in hardback format,so on seeing this new edition in the NASB Updated,I decided to give it a try. When it came I was disappointed to say the least. Yes the binding is a very nice quality genuine leather, but it is glue injected and not sewn,an absolute necessity for a well used Bible. When one uses a glue bound bible, it is not long before the pages start to come loose and fall out.Great care is needed when you try to lay the Bible flat on a table because the spine is subject to cracking or splitting. This edition is also much smaller in format than the previous one, no doubt to cut costs rather than offer any advantage to the purchaser. When are consumers going to learn that they are being had over by Publishers who have started to produce lesser quality Bibles and are charging them much more for the privilege? Time was when sewn bindings were the rule rather than the exception. And at this price , sewn bindings should be the norm rather than the exception. It would seem that Christian Publishers are not very much different from their secular counterparts afterall.

Blessed by the Word:
I took an exegesis course that used Living by the Book by Howard Hendricks as its textbook. This Bible came as close as I could find to the study bible he recommended. This has large, wide margins for note taking and reminders in the front of how to mark sections for quick reference later. Many Bibles use thin pages that bleed through, so we use colored pencils or Bible marking pens and pencils. I use this Bible often in sermon preparation because I can seek out the Word as it pertains to my experiences for a great starting point from which I can dig further with helps. Also, I use this Bible for our family Bible study time teaching my children how to study the Bible for themselves through inductive study. We each have one now and my children love the activities of marking the sections. They remember the Word better too! I honestly can not speak highly enough of this New Inductive Study Bible!

Disappointed:
A church friend had recommended Kay Aruther's book on how to study your bible. I read same and found the concepts interesting. So I ordered the new inductive bible and I was going to use same as my main mark up study bible using Kay's inductive techniques. I was currently studying 3 John so that was my starting book of study. I took out my highlighters and to my immediate dismay the highlighters bleed right through to the next page. I closed that bible up and put it on my shelf and went back to my regular bible that has pages that will not bleed. They should have charged a little bit more money and used pages that don't bleed through seeing that this seems to be one of the main reasons to purchase this bible. Gets lowest rating because of this fault.

Great study Bible...just ignore the biased commentary:
I love studying with this Bible. It's great to have so much room to make notes in the margin. There are excellent maps, charts, and relevant historical tidbits peppered throughout the text. If you buy this Bible on these strengths alone, you won't be disappointed. However, I find it troubling -- if not hypocritical -- how I am in one breath told that, "You may have been taught a system of beliefs before you ever studied God's Word for yourself. Or you may have formed opinions of what the Bible teaches before you carefully examined the Scriptures." and encouraged to study the Word for myself (the whole point if the inductive study approach), and in the next breath I am told that, "Jesus took the book of Genesis at face value...are you going to take God's Word at face value and believe as Jesus did? Are you going to listen to the philosophies of men with finite minds who critique God and His Word, or are you going to accept the Bible as the Word of God and then think and live accordingly?" Wait a second...I thought I was supposed to "Discover what it means" for myself. If that is so, why are you shoving Young-Earth Creationism down my throat on the first page of Genesis, before I've even begun reading? Why are you telling me that the serpent is Satan, even though Genesis doesn't ever say that? Am I not supposed to arrive at that on my own through further reading? I highly recommend this Bible simply on the basis of its excellent historical facts and easy to use personal study layout. However, I recommend that you completely ignore their commentary and attempts to "lead" you into believing the way that the authors of the commentary do. Instead, take their claim that God's Word will reveal itself to you seriously, and let The Word speak for itself.

Brilliant design, just ignore the biased commentary.:
I love studying with this Bible. It's great to have so much room to make notes in the margin. There are excellent maps, charts, and relevant historical tidbits peppered throughout the text. If you buy this Bible on these strengths alone, you won't be disappointed. However, I find it troubling -- if not hypocritical -- how I am in one breath told that, "You may have been taught a system of beliefs before you ever studied God's Word for yourself. Or you may have formed opinions of what the Bible teaches before you carefully examined the Scriptures." and encouraged to study the Word for myself (the whole point if the inductive study approach), and in the next breath I am told that, "Jesus took the book of Genesis at face value...are you going to take God's Word at face value and believe as Jesus did? Are you going to listen to the philosophies of men with finite minds who critique God and His Word, or are you going to accept the Bible as the Word of God and then think and live accordingly?" Wait a second...I thought I was supposed to "Discover what it means" for myself. If that is so, why are you shoving Young-Earth Creationism down my throat on the first page of Genesis, before I've even begun reading? Why are you telling me that the serpent is Satan, even though Genesis doesn't ever say that? Am I not supposed to arrive at that on my own through further reading? I highly recommend this Bible simply on the basis of its excellent historical facts and easy to use personal study layout. However, I recommend that you completely ignore their commentary and attempts to "lead" you into believing the way that the authors of the commentary do. Instead, take their claim that God's Word will reveal itself to you seriously, and let The Word speak for itself.