Tips For Proper Bible Study Part 2B: Bibles

I am a proponent of using multiple Bibles.  Personally, I have a Bible that I use for reading, a Bible I use for study topics and words, a Bible I use to study whole books, and a Bible I use for church.  While this may or may not appeal to you personally, it helps me keep everything straight.  Here are few tips on getting the right Bible.

Reading Time
Do not confuse reading time and study; they are not the same.  For reading it is best to have a text-only Bible or a Bible with minimal notes and cross references.  It may also help to have some margin space available so that when you come across words you do not know you can write the definition in the margin.  Not using a study Bible help as you should be reading for volume and repetition.  Often when a study Bible is used you can find yourself reading the study notes more than the actual scriptures.  One of the Bible's I use for reading is this one from Local Church Bible Publishers; you can't beat their quality and price.

Bible Study
The question here is should you use a study bible.  Whether or not you choose to will be up to you, but you must realize that no matter who's study bible you use you are reading the notes of a man.  Never confuse the commentary with the scripture and never assume the commentary is correct.  You should also do a bit of research on the person who's notes are in the study bible you choose.  This will help you steer clear of serious theological error and heresy such as Preterism, Monergism, amillenialism, post-millenialism, etc.

Whether you choose to use or not to use a study bible, you will still need to decide if you will take notes in your bible or in a notebook.  Here are two excellent choices to use if you want to take notes in your bible: 1) The Classic Note Bible and 2) The Note Takers Bible from Local Church Publishers.