Five Reasons Why We Use the ESV Student Study Bible in Sunday School
As I mentioned in Six Lessons from Sunday School, study Bibles are here to stay. We use the ESV Student Study Bible in our class. I would like to list out my reasons here again about why we use them and add an important fourth and fifth reason why.
Serious Students
This is a Bible for serious students of God’s Word. This edition is not meant to be kept home on your shelf for reference. It is made to be taken with you as you listen to sermons, learn in small groups, and engage with others. Here are five reasons why I want our students to use the same exact study Bibles as our textbooks in Sunday School:
We all use the same, excellent ESV translation
We can call out page numbers so others can easily find the passage (this helps to gamify our learning)
We learn to use cross-references
We can check the teacher by reading the study notes
We physically treasure our Bibles as we use them week to week, needing to keep them in good condition
Always Learning
I have grown to love this edition of the ESV Bible. While the original ESV Study Bible has more comprehensive notes, the ESV Student Study Bible distills them to get to the point. It fits nicely in your hands, lays flat on a table, and is overall easier to carry around. The cover is attractive, and the colors, fonts, and general layout help to make it readable. What makes this edition standout are the 900 “Did You Know?” facts and 120 Character Profiles. I find myself always reading these when I come across them on the page, and I will actively seek them out when I am doing my personal Bible study. The glossary and concordance are essential. The well-written articles and full-colored maps are generous.
Bring the Book
God’s Word is not bound to a book. We can spread the gospel orally, aurally, and digitally. But by his own design, God has intentionally chosen to use written words to speak to us today. Physical books help us take our studying seriously. There are an art and craft to their production. In this digital age, we forget the immediacy and permanency of the tangible object. We need to relearn what it means to value the Word of God. Bring the book. And so we shall.