Bible Teacher looks at the New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apochrypha

In this Disciple Dojo study Bible review, we take a look at both editions of the New Oxford Study Bible.
The RSV Edition is available at: tinyurl.com/4cdzjack
The NRSV 5th Edition is available at: tinyurl.com/e7h6823p
The Bible & Science: Friends or Foes?? video series can be found at: www.discipledojo.org/bible-sci...

[@mackenlyjones]

Great review. Having to use this as a required reading for an up coming class. Had skimmed through and read a few things that just felt off. After seeing the examples you gave, it definitely helps to frame the perspective that many of the contributors are coming from and identify the clear bias in many of the notes to watch out for.

[@shinryuken5423]

That was an awesome intro. 😂 My study bible is in Spanish (Thompson) and I mostly use it for the cross reference. I had a Zondervan many years ago but gave away to someone I evangelized to.

[@MAMoreno]

The NOAB is my study Bible of choice, and I suppose my view on it is the inverse of yours. I find that it's quite fair to Evangelical perspectives much of the time (even giving possible dates for Paul's disputed letters if they're authentic), while Evangelical study Bibles tend to bring up scholarly perspectives just to engage in conservative apologetics against them, not to offer anything resembling academic balance.

[@DiscipleDojo]

Fair criticism.

[@alex-qe8qn]

MA Moreno and DiscipleDojo Now in my 75th year, I have used, both personally and in teaching, just about all the relevant Study Bibles and equivalent. The non-Evangelical Study Bibles have been a bit one-sided, and sometimes giving the impression that they are not really bothered about the truth of/in the Bible, and often omitting vigorous academic Evangelical matter (by, e.g., Ken Kitchen). The Evangelical Study Bibles have had, perforce, to remedy biased onslaught and omissions. I suspect that there may be a modern and US-centered problem, in that serious Bible students (not necessarily those in secondary or tertiary education) do not study both types of Study Bibles. In my native Scotland, for example (as in England and Wales), since at least the publication of the Revised Version in 1881/1885, "ordinary" men, many working class, who were serious Bible students but who were not financially able to continue formal education after their 12th to 14th year, studied, individually and with fellow-believers, materials that were of university standard. In Scotland, Brethren and Baptists were particularly noted for diligent study; and we had an educated Presbyterian ministry (most Church of Scotland having to have a first degree and a second one in theology). Times have changed, and I fear that we simply do not have such widespread keenness and studiousness.

[@MM-jf1me]

@@alex-qe8qn Perhaps nowadays we have too many competing voices within our selection of academic materials. There's always been debate and differences of opinion, but have there always been such a wide range of commercial products for everyday scholars to have to wade through? You mention how part of the problem could be that some US students decide to study only from evangelical or only from secular (?) study Bibles instead of studying more broadly. This is pure speculation, but I wonder if possible study materials in the past may have made more of an effort to include a broader range of thinking as they were niche products needing to appeal to a large majority in order to turn a profit whereas today people can locate (and so pay for) extremely niche products. I wonder if this and divisive politics have helped encourage academic splintering to the point where you think serious students of the Bible should read and study from materials from "both camps" -- but how are these everyday people serious about their study of the Bible to even learn that there is another camp when these students are stuck inside their own echo chamber? Personally I had no idea that there was such a schism among study Bibles before listening to reviews like the ones on this channel: if one doesn't realize that there are such theologically different study Bibles (beyond denomination) how could one ever hope to study from "each" school of thought? It's disheartening.

[@alexanderthomson3668]

@@MM-jf1me I largely agree with what you have said. The problem is also related to a general cultural decline, especially of reading. Many of our educational and theological institutions are no longer fit for purpose. I do what I can to encourage and guide individuals who are serious about their studies, for it is a day of small things.....but small things accumulate (“mony a mickle maks a muckle“, as the Scottish saying has it)! What has struck me is the lack or shallowness of proper study in churches, and the absence of Christians helping Christians : such wasted resources and opportunities. But, we do our best, praying that the Lord will be pleased to use our efforts!

[@greenbank4800]

Same here,mine too, although I find it interesting to compare notes ( if any in some cases) in a range of study Bibles, some of the more evangelical study Bibles omit notes on some versus completely, especially avoiding commenting on versus that may go against a certain perspective that is evangelical. This occurs often in the face of quality contemporary scholarship in the study notes of multiple other study Bibles . It takes a close look across multiple quality study Bibles to identify "omission bias". In every case I have identified it is to bolster a certain theological position , sad, one should seek the truth, no matter where it leads one.

[@belz2915]

Interesting review, I am considering the purchase of the RSV NOAB. I find that in both the Harper Collins Study Bible and the NRSV NOAB are good places to get a glimpse of “current” scholarly thought as a beginning for a deeper study.

[@annettegraff8323]

I recently purchased both and I'm happy to have made the purchase ! I also got a leatherback Amplified in large print which is the one I reach for Its easy to read with follow up with KJV Much appreciated by my aging eyes! I am very discouraged and disappointed that His true Name is now changed! 😮I worry this leads to error!

[@annettegraff8323]

Ps Amplified is Zondervan 1987

[@luxxy677]

I just found your channel today so big thank you for your diligent reviews. God has blessed me generously with many biblical resources when he saved me, HALLELUJAH!!! The Oxford access study bible was just one of them. I like to call it my sceptical or devils guide bible :') however, this gives me some confidence that there won't be many theological or prophetical biases (other than the obvious "it's all just a fairy tale" bias). Particularly if the summary on the NRSV translation being "as literal as possible and as free as necessary" is sincere; which with the help of a concordance I have found to be the case so far. Again thank you for the channel and your work; which will help me select a more Spirit-filled bible for my next study. God bless.

[@clannard1]

Thanks for reviewing these JM! I'm thinking of getting the 1977 RSV NOAB, but more from the perspective that it contains all of the Eastern Orthodox biblical canon in a translation recommended for personal reading and approved for liturgical use in most Orthodox Churches. I would rather not have the distraction of annotations and supplementary material (esp the theologically questionable stuff), but cannot afford to spring for a Schuyler RSV with apocrypha at this stage.

[@MatthewMcknight]

Very helpful review on pros and cons to the NOAB! A main criticism you bring up is that the annotated notes do not provide a diversity of approaches to viewing a particular passage, just short points from one-person/one-view. Do you know of any study bibles that do a decent job of comparing different views on a passage in a balanced, or at least fair, way? Trying to figure out a broad, current, and fair study bible. Thanks!

[@DiscipleDojo]

I don't know of a scholarly/academic one that does so. But check out the reviews I've done of the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, the Life Application Study Bible, and the NLT Study Bible. The Archeological Study Bible (not the ESV Archaeology Study Bible) does a good job on it as well, but mainly in terms of historical/archaeological disagreements.

[@MatthewMcknight]

Excellent, I'll check them out. Thanks ​ @DiscipleDojo!!

[@sophrapsune]

Liked straight away for the ‘Allo Guvnor impression!!!😂

[@alex-qe8qn]

DiscipleDojo, Thank you for this and other videos. You are a breath of fresh air, blowing from one side of The Great Pond to the other! Now in my 75th year, and seeing the rise and increasing popularity of the Study Bible, I feel that you and I might share the same view : basically, with some exception, the Study Bible, as it is now constituted, is not fit for purpose. At least, the academic ones, prescribed for poor students, are too often deficient : payment for the text that is already held in a separate Bible, lack of cross-references, little or no attention to different interpretations, sparse notes of commentary. I have used, I think, both personally and in teaching, almost all the relevant Study Bibles and equivalent from the 1960's to the present; but I would rather that students would use a good edition or two of the Bible with extensive cross-references, and one or more one-volume Bible commentaries - and a good topical/thematic book would be beneficial! Bible study is a system thing, as well as being systematic! That said, I do agree that the book introductions and the essays in the Study Bibles can be excellent, and I do encourage students to read as many of these as they can. (I sometimes think of copying these into one large resource!) And I share with you your respect for H H Rowley : along with William Barclay and a few others, he was "an honest liberal" from whom we learned much. I met him once, when I was glad to thank him for a good and influential book he had edited in 1963 (which was given to me in that year, on my 16th birthday), "A Companion to the Bible".

[@johnleake5657]

I'm just going to say that the RSV _Annotated Apocrypha_ is available separately, and I'd advise getting the RSV _Annotated Bible_ and RSV _Annotated Apocrypha_ as two volumes rather than getting the all-in-one edition (which just binds the two books together). It's easier to find the essays etc.

[@brendaboykin3281]

Love the outfit AND the Dick Van Dyke British accent. Thank you for the review.🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@innovati]

Hey brother, thanks for this and all the reviews you do. I think we come from a similar upbringing and are on a similar path but I'm years behind following your footsteps, which means all the material you've put out is like it was made uniquely for me. I enjoyed the Jewish Annotated New Testament and it's notes more than any other annotated book! I wish I could get the Old Testament or apocrypha annotated with New Testament cross references, but by that same set of people who made the JANT. I have seen this oxford annotated study bible, three different editions of it, and they are not the same quality, and different editions of this book are totally different in the notes. I bought two copies of different editions for $6 each at a second hand store so at least it's a biblical text and something. I can have one upstairs and one downstairs and that's fine. I also found that Jewish Study Bible also put out by Oxford and some of the same scholars who produced the JANT, but it's also not so hot. I saw your review and agree wholeheartedly - it's an invitation to view the text as a modern non-messianic jew would and for that I will check it out respectfully to learn about jewish people around me in my life, but it doesn't answer my questions about the text. Do you know of an old testament or apocrypha annotated bible or study bible that's on the same level as the Jewish Annotated New Testament? Thanks for being our loving sensei in the faith!

[@DiscipleDojo]

I don't know if any that include the Apochrypha, but see my Top 7 recommended study Bibles for my recommendeds.

[@annettegraff8323]

​@@DiscipleDojoWill do so ! Ty!

[@nicholaswolffis6812]

What would you say is your favorite study bible?

[@DiscipleDojo]

See the video on the channel "My Top 7 Recommended Study Bibles" for the answer, depending on what some needs. :-)

[@belz2915]

Does anyone happen to know if the paper in the leather version of the RSV NOAB is better than in the hardcover version or is it about the same?

[@DiscipleDojo]

I am not sure, honestly. I've only seen the hardback RSV. Amazon may give the paperweight in their specs, or you may find it on Oxford Press's catalogue or website.

[@davegarciaofficial]

The paper in the leather edition is fantastic

[@hobbitofny]

1966 is first Oxford Annotated RSV with Apocrypha The 1972 is first to use the second edition of the NT 1977 used the expanded Apocrypha

[@greenbank4800]

Once one accepts that much of the Bible is mythologicalised history, once one accepts that the authors had encountered God in history and wrote of their experiences individually and as a people in light of their encountering God , accepting that elements of myth is more truth not less, one's faith is strengthened not diminshed by a truthful scholary study Bible. Its my go to study Bible but I also balance it with one or several of the following: Oxford Jewish ,ESV, the Crossways Archeology and the NRSV Cultural Study Bibles.

[@timwilkins2008]

If I use a study Bible at all, it is the NOAB (both of these you showed), The CEB Study Bible, The Catholic Study Bible from Oxford, the new SBL Study Bible and the Harper-Collins Study Bible

[@DiscipleDojo]

Haha, those would be near the bottom of my list. 😁 Though the CEB with Apochrypha is the best of that bunch by far, IMO.

[@timwilkins2008]

@@DiscipleDojo your option.

[@jreaves11]

Do you have a review of the CSV Study Bible? Presently it is my study bible of choice. I have come to this having been a fan of John MacArthur. I think it is light years ahead of MacArthur. What is your estimate of it (the CSV Study Bible)?

[@DiscipleDojo]

I'm not familiar with CSV. Do you mean CSB?

[@BlessedFigTree]

Thank you for this, I hate that the Oxford name comes with all this baggage now. :(

[@bluestripetiger]

From what I can gather based on this review, the NIV Study Bible or the ESV Study Bible would seem to be better choices for study bibles than the Oxford.

[@DiscipleDojo]

For the vast majority of people, I'd say so. Perhaps in certain academic contexts this would provide some helpful material, and of course for any study of the Apocrypha.

[@SaneNoMore]

So its book introductions are basically liberal secular….

[@DiscipleDojo]

More like liberal mainline. HarperCollins is secular.

[@marksequeira2757]

"Completely subjective, entirely biased..." As a long-time believer, I do not "need" everyone I read to agree with me or my pre-conceived thoughts and beliefs but can appreciate the variety of views presented. Granted, new believers could be misled or confused but that also happens by evangelical teachers and theologians telling their listeners items that I do not believe to be true as well but presented as fact. And I could argue that this happens even more often within Evangelical circles than within this particular volume, which I use interchangeably as a shelf resource or daily reader.

[@DiscipleDojo]

For sure...which is why it is on my shelf. :-)

[@genebaker6964]

Its appears I'll give this study bible a pass.

[@jameslifetalks]

So do you keep the Sabbath? Don’t mean to offend. Just a legitimate question. I am asking based on your comment on the fact of there being no difference between the Old Testament (Tenakh) God (Elohim) and New Testament. Could not remember how to spell New Testament in Hebrew. Could not remember how to spell Old Testament as well. Had to speak into phone.

[@DiscipleDojo]

B'rit hadashah is New Testament in Hebrew. And I believe followers of Jesus are to live a sabbath rhythm, but which specific day a person sets aside and how they go about it will vary as the Spirit leads them and their faith community. "Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ." Colossians 2:16‭-‬17

[@jameslifetalks]

@@DiscipleDojo Paul had to mean something else. He could have not meant it like that. There are more I am sure. Two verses that come to mind is “Isaiah 66:23” and “Matthew 5:17”.

[@DiscipleDojo]

I think it's exactly what he meant. Both Isaiah and the Sermon on the Mount were given from within the Mosaic Covenant where Sabbath was one of the shorthand expressions for "Torah keeping", and served to denote righteous devotion among Israel. Just as the "temple" Ezekiel saw was a prophetic image of the eschaton and all the temple stood for, so to the sabbath is itself a prophetic image of God's "rest" that we are to "enter" (see Hebrews for more on this). Sabbath *always* pointed forward to a deeper reality, just like the priesthood, the tabernacle, food laws, circumcision, and the sacrifices. See the latest series here on the channel where we take a deep dive into Sinai/Levitical law to see why Sabbath keeping is no longer observed by the letter of the Law. The Apostolic Council in Acts 15 could have easily reinforced Sabbath keeping as a requirement for Gentile believers. They specifically did not include it. That is in agreement with what Paul told the Colossians as well as the Galatians regarding the continuation of the Sinai Covenant.

[@bluehose97]

It's funny the different perspectives you get in study bibles. The conservative study bibles basically say that every book in the bible was written by exactly whom tradition says. The liberal ones basically say no book was written by whom it says. Like most things, im sure the truth is somewhere in the middle. I will never believe, however, that 1 Peter and 2 Peter was written by the same person. No way.

[@DiscipleDojo]

@@bluehose97 I dunno...I've written different emails to different people and different times in my life that sound nothing alike. Don't see why Peter couldn't have done likewise. 🤷

[@johnleake5657]

Thank you for your apology - that was a sort of cockney, the social opposite of Oxford English!

[@3ggshe11s]

I have both but prefer the older version, mostly because it's RSV and not NRSV. I've never liked the NRSV translation. It feels kind of sterile and lifeless. Almost like it was written by and for academics...

[@danielwilliamson1577]

Why would religious schools want people to learn the Bible from a place of non belief? Is it more to combat arguments against Christianity or to weed out people from the programs?

[@DiscipleDojo]

It has more to do with approaching the Bible as a literary anthology and using the normal tools of literary and historical study to analyze it. At least, that's the goal in theory.

[@madgenius1534]

Why wouldn’t you? Isn’t is much better to get a neutral observation in order to be able to think and formulate your beliefs for yourself rather than just blindly copy catting some strangers views?

[@danielwilliamson1577]

@@madgenius1534 but it's not neutral.

[@Moto4Christ]

Amen! Thanks for sharing brother! I love you man! You are a blessing! Im praying for you and your family!! I am watching and expecting for the rapture/event to happen either TONIGHT Monday September 20th 2021 or in the next few days until September 23rd during the full harvest moon and "The feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot". Many brothers and sisters have had rapture dreams and visions with a full moon including myself, I had a vision of a full moon 1 year ago in August 2020. September 22nd is the 16th of Tishrei on the Hebrew calendar. A few months ago I had a dream where I saw the date of the rapture engraved in a tombstone in Hebrew writing and all I could understand and remember was that the "end date" was the 16th of a month. Sister Darla from "God's Gifts" KZbin channel also had a dream where she woke up yelling the 16th!! September 20th is: - 280 days (40 weeks) from the solar eclipse and the first vaccine doses given in the U.S.A on December 14th 2020 September 22nd/23rd is: - 111 months from when the film "I pet goat 2" was released on June 24th 2012 - 222 days from new years eve on the Chinese calendar on February 12th 2021 - 140 days (20 weeks) from the emergency test alert message sent in Canada on May 5th 2021 - 123 days (4 months) from when they signed the unilateral truce between Israel and Palestine on May 21st 2021 - 119 days (17 weeks) from the super flower blood moon eclipse on May 26th 2021 - 100 days from when the new Israel government/prime minister was sworn into office on June 13th 2021 - 90 days from the Miami condo collapse on June 24th 2021 - 40 days UNTIL Halloween on October 31st 2021 - 100 days UNTIL new years eve on December 31st 2021 I really can't see us being here past September 23rd 2021 because the school semester has already started and children are forced to wear masks in school despite that the children and their families were protesting last year against the school board's complaining about children having a difficult time breathing and sometimes even passing out from lack of oxygen. Brothers and sisters will be losing their jobs in October because they will forced to take the jab. About 4000 rockets were fired at Israel from May 9th until May 21st 2021 when they enacted a unilateral truce between Israel and the Palestinians. They are now proclaiming "Peace and safety", in 1:Thessalonians 5:3 it says "For when they shall say, peace and safety, the sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape". I believe it may be a 100 - 140 day delay/grace period. Remember: This is after the Abraham Accord peace deal which should have ended all wars in the middle east. I believe that 2021 is the year of the rapture because of the pandemic and near mandatory "jab" and a sister had a dream that the rapture happened right after they made the "jab" mandatory, on my channel there WAS a video of a sister that had a vision of the rapture/event and she said that it will happen before 2022 (KZbin deleted it) On my channel there is a "Guided sleep meditation video" for re-programming your mind to feel more love, gratitude and universal divine connection. I have been listening to the same video every night for the past 2 years and it has greatly improved my life in almost all aspects. It also prevents me from having bad dreams or being spiritually attacked when I sleep. It has cured my depression and saved me from suicide, that proves that it is not satanic, I believe the sister in the video is guided by God/The Holy Spirit. I give full glory to God for this comment because I have been praying everyday for God to reveal this information to me so that I can share it with everyone. "If God is everything, then we must be inside God, and God must be inside us" We will not experience any pain during the rapture/event. See you in heaven! Pray and repent of your sins to God, not to be saved, but to show respect to God and strengthen your relationship. God/Jesus loves everyone of you like as if you were the only person in the entire universe! God bless you and your family!

[@DiscipleDojo]

Please stop spamming this garbage.

[@DiscipleDojo]

Have you repented of your false prophecy spreading yet?

[@dalecaldwell]

The worst part of this 'Annotated Bible' is that it is required reading for many seminaries. It's just about useless for anything beyond being a money cow for Oxford.

[@sargechurch1]

I had to buy this Bible for my Bible Literature class in a community college. Lol. Not even some high level seminary. It really caught me off guard with the way it framed things.

[@ericday4505]

The text in this study bible is flat out horrible, it is just too modern, you cant even understand what the hell they are talking about. Its bad very bad. And this guy, he is so absolutely sure about Paul's letters and their authorship. He is a little snooty. But the text, example of how bad, Daniel 7, right one of my favorite Old Testament text as Daniel is having his famous dream, right, and One Like A Son Of Man, approaches the Ancient of Days, and was given dominion and such, Jesus eludes to this verse before the Sanhedren, this terrible text, translates Son of Man, Human Being, what!!! And Ancient of Days, Ancient One. This has to be about as bad as I have ever read those texts.

[@Simrealism]

Really tired of these bibles being printed on tissue paper. Why not just wipe your ass with the Lord's word?

[@jasonengel]

Wow. Terrible review. Unsubscribed before finishing. No thank you.

[@DiscipleDojo]

Bye Felicia.