Book Review: NLT Wide Margin Filament Bible

This book review is being given in exchange for a copy of the book. No monetary stipend was involved. All opinions are my own.

Perhaps you are wondering why I am doing another book review on a Bible. When I was a young child going to Sunday School every verse we learned was taught from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. When I was in high school I was given a copy of the Word in the New American Standard (NASB) version, which at that time was supposed to be the most word for word translation. I became a fan and for years that is the only Bible I would use. Even now, I most often use NASB 1995 on my blog and in my study. However, I have also become acquainted with the English Standard Version (ESV), and the New International Version (NIV), so when this opportunity to review a New Living Translation (NLT) of God’s Word came along, I signed up.

When I opened the sturdy box this NLT Wide Margin Filament Bible came in I was so excited to see this beautifully designed, leather-like cover making it not only perfect for the season of spring, but also for Easter. I am a Fashion Blogger, and a girl who likes pretty and colorful clothes also likes pretty and colorful Bibles. I especially love the verse they included on the back cover. Simple, but elegant.

This Bible has a lot of interesting and practical features. From the single column of text per page, the extra wide margins for taking notes or making doodles, the words of Jesus in red, and other features at the back like the Tyndale Verse Finder, maps and other interesting charts and facts this Bible is already a great choice for your own personal study or as a gift for a family member or friend.

However, this Bible has an additional feature that makes it even more perfect for anyone interested in deeper study and understanding of God’s Word. This Bible is Filament Enabled. Filament is an app that removes the need for large, cumbersome Bibles with extra notes and cross references, and also removes the need to own a huge library of extra study sources. When you download the app, you have at your fingertips a wealth of videos, maps, study materials, reading plans, devotionals and more. All you have to do is scan the page you are reading and the app will give you numerous interactive choices. (At the time of this post I have not had the time to download the app, but as soon as I can I am going to download it and use it.) You can see more information on the app here. You can also watch a video on the app here. The app is free, so if you have a phone or a tablet this is a great resource to add to your personal Bible study.

Here are a few pictures of a few of the features of the NLT Wide Margin Filament Bible:

Single Column of Text per Page; Words of Jesus in Red Letters:

Tyndale Verse Finder:

I like this feature as it makes it easier to look up verses on a specific idea or topic.

A Visual Overview of the Bible:

Maps:

Pages with other interesting info:

This NLT Wide Margin Filament Bible offers the Holy Scriptures written in a way that is true to the original text, but in an flowing, easy to read style. I am very excited to download the Filament App and start using this Bible right away.

This is the perfect addition to your own personal library, but will also make a beautiful gift for a friend, loved one, or ministry leader. I do not see this exact Bible on the website, but there are lots of other beautiful options that have all the same details.

I hope you enjoyed this review.

Book Review: The Good Book

This book review is being given in exchange for a copy of the book and a small monetary stipend. All opinions are my own.

The Good Book by Paul S. Williamson is an interesting interpretive reading of the Gospel accounts and the Acts of the Apostles. Paul Williamson graduated from the University of Kansas with a BA and an MD. He also holds an MA, and a PhD in Biblical Studies and Languages from the Catholic University of America. After translating the entire New Testament from Greek after graduate school and with his blend of degrees in chemistry, medicine, language and the Bible, Paul felt uniquely qualified to write a Biblical account in easy to read, modern day language specifically geared toward those who find reading the scriptures a daunting and confusing task.

Rather than following the traditional forms of the Bible we currently have, or a chronological form, Williamson arranges his book starting with a in depth introduction on reading the New Testament, followed by Conversations with Jesus, covering many of the important interactions between Jesus and people like the religious elite - Pharisees and Sadducees, the rich young ruler, the woman at the well, Nicodemus, his own disciples and more. He writes out the passages where these conversations are found and includes references to all the Gospel accounts. I like this detail, as it then allows me to look up the various verses in the translation of the Bible I desire for my own study.

Williamson follows this chapter on Jesus’ conversations with a chapter on Jesus background, going into the details surrounding God’s choosing of Mary as Jesus mother, how Joseph was convinced in a dream to take Mary as his wife, where he was born, shepherds, the wise men and other points including Jesus’ early foray’s into the Temple.

The chapters that follow look specifically at Jesus miracles, the Sermon on the Mount, teaching through the Parables, the disciples, why and how Jesus died, his resurrection, and then closes the book with a look at the early church through the Acts of the Apostles.

Paul Williamson does an excellent job of adding his interpretations of the passages he presents in a way that reinforces his learning and knowledge, but enables the reader to understand and learn from them. He is not overly wordy, but also gives enough information to make important points and observations from the scripture.

I think I would have liked this book better if Paul had arranged it more in keeping with the actual Bible itself. I think he should have talked about Jesus background first, followed by the disciples, the sermon on the mount, conversations, miracles and so on. I think this arrangement would make more sense to the trained and the untrained reader and creates a flow that allows the reader to move along easily as they read.

That being said, I would still recommend this book as a resource, especially for someone who is looking at studying the Bible, or leading others in Bible study. It would serve as a reference that would allow looking things up with ease. For example if you are teaching on the Sermon on the Mount, you could go to that chapter in Paul’s book. If you wanted to discuss a particular interaction or miracle, you could reference those chapters quickly.

I think The Good Book would be beneficial book to have in a church library, as a Christian leader’s personal resource, or for someone who is interested in a different way to study God’s word.