Is the Life Application Study Bible appropriate for serious study of the Bible?

July 23, 2009

I enjoy studing, reading and teaching from the Life Application Study Bible. Is this Bible too "watered down" to use in learning the Christian walk and teachings of Christ?

The Life Application Study Bible is not a translation of Scripture in itself, but rather it is a series of study Bibles that add commentary and study notes to commonly-accepted translations like the NIV, NASB, NKJV, etc. So, the scripture within these Bibles are no different that in other Bibles that use the same translations.  

Depending on the specific translation you select, these Bible can be perfectly acceptable study Bibles. For example, our ministry favors the NASB translation, so if you were to use the NASB Life Application Study Bible, you would be studying the same translation we use in our teaching.

Keep in the mind that the study notes included in the Life Application Study Bible (or any study Bible) are not inspired teaching. They are merely interpretations of scripture written by scholars or teachers in an effort to help students understand and apply the Bible, but in many cases these notes can be misleading or simply wrong in their interpretation or use of Scripture.  

Consequently, we recommend students not use Bibles containing study notes.  Instead, find a Bible with only the Scripture verses themselves, so you won't be tempted to read the notes rather than the Bible itself.

Finally, if you are using the New Living Translation (NLT) version of the Life Application Study Bible, you should probably select a different translation for your personal study. The NLT is not an accurate translation of the Bible (since it paraphrases Scripture), so using it for serious Bible study will make understanding the true meaning of Scripture difficult, at best.  

Again, we recommend a well-accepted literal translation like the KJV, NASB, NKJV, NIV, HSCB, ASV or similar Bibles.