Truth be told, I am a little late jumping on the ESV bandwagon. So I have decided to drive my own bandwagon. This is not the first review of the Single Column Reference Bible in the ESV translation published by my friends over at Crossway/Good News Publishers. I will be reviewing the SCR in black premium calfskin leather and will attempt to give more than a perfunctory review. Yes, I am a fan of the ESV translation but it is not the only translation I use nor is it the only one I recommend. I think everyone should use more than one translation, including the KJV, NASB and NIV. I also recommend the use of a Bible quiver, more than one Bible for specific use.
By God’s good grace we live in a time and place when where we can own a Bible let alone a plethora. Believe it or not, there are places on this planet where Bibles are outlawed and have to be smuggled in. Trying to keep things in perspective, there are saints that are happy to have just one Bible. One! They probably do not care if it’s a paperback or hardback, genuine leather or Trutone or whatever proprietary name is given to the fake leather. They are happy to own a Bible, lest we forget what a luxury we have. I say this only because there seems to be too much nit-picking about Bibles. This leads me to why I have decided to write this blog.
The internet, like most other things have very good aspects to them that can easily be exploited. In the dark ages b.p.c (before personal computers) news travelled much… much slower than it does today. News used to take hours, yes… hours to get to us, now with everybody owning computers and with new technological advancements like the Apple i-Phone you can get news as it is happening no matter where you are. Another thing that travels at the speed of life, aside from the news, are myths and urban legends.
Far too many Bible reviews are simply bogus. According to Rick Mansfield there are 84 translations or paraphrases of the Bible in English. Aside from all the translations available there are different bindings, covers, colors and sizes to choose from. If that wasn’t enough, you can also get a Bible that’s made specific to your needs such as a Soldiers Bible, Marines Bible, Adventure Bibles, Blossom Complete New Testament, Duct Tape Bible, Revolution: The Bible For Teen Guys Bible, Mom’s Devotional Bible, True Identity Bible and even a Woman Thou Art Loosed Bible… I am not joking. It is safe to say that there are Bibles that fill just about every niche out there, although I am still looking for a Too Fat and Too Old to Skateboard Bible in the SCC Version (So Cal Cholo.)
Since there are countless combinations of translations, bindings, covers, colors and sizes to choose from it is ridiculous to give a Bible a bad review for something that it was not intended for. I’ve seen people give a thinline Bible a bad review for having thin paper, or a compact Bible for having type too small for reading. If you are are willing to use only one Bible then you will have to compromise. If you want a Bible with large print set in a paragraph format with study notes, cross references, concordance and maps… you may have to give up portability. Judge a Bible for what it’s intended purpose is. Study Bibles tend to be large and bulky, compact Bibles are small and portable. It’s unreasonable to give a Bible a poor review for something it wasn’t designed for so buy the Bible that suits your need.
Which leads me to Crossway’s Single Column Reference. According to many reviews, it appears to suffer from paper that is too thin. Too thin for the purpose of note taking. Having been made with wide margins, note taking seems to be what it was made for. More on the paper, later.
The SCR was released earlier this year and features the ESV translation with the minor updates from 2006 which, really are very minor. The calfskin used by Crossway is among the best leather available by any publisher. The black calfskin is a matte black, it doesn’t have the sheen that the goatskin leather on Cambridge or R L Allan Bibles. The cover is cut slightly larger than the book block itself and it is also leather lined making the covers very limp and durable. This copy has very soft leather with grain that is striated and a smell that is wonderful. The spine has 6 raised bands giving it that “old world craftsmanship” look. The stamping on the spine is precise, clean and straight. The leather cover itself is framed by a line that has been rolled or stamped 1/2″ inside of the edge. When open, the book stays that way no matter where its opened to, in the hand, it feels like an old broken in baseball glove, an extension of your hand. This has much to do with the a binding that is smyth sewn, making this a Bible that will probably out last me.
The book block itself is 6.5″ x 9.25″ x 1.5″, the leather cover is slightly larger but not a true semi-yapp. The Bible has color maps in the back with presentation page, marriage, birth and death page in the front. As with all ESV Bibles I have seen, this one has the preface which speaks of the history and philosophy behind the ESV translation as well as a section that gives an explanation to the features, such as how to use the cross references as there are over 80,000 of them. The Bible also features a concordance with over 14,500 entries. All this goes to make a very usable Bible for the purpose of in-depth studies.
Another feature that will help in making this a usable Bible is the readability. The font size is 10 point which some may say that it should be larger but because of the setting is more than enough to make this a very easy read. The layout of the page is not cluttered, the verses are not crammed and the cross references are on the inside margin making this a very neat layout. The chapter introductions are brief and are printed in a shaded portion at the top, as each chapter starts a new page. The chapter title, also at the top of the page and it’s in a font different than the verses.
The feature that sets this Bible apart from many on the market is the single column setting. Most Bibles available are in a double column setting with cross references in the middle, this one however has the cross references on the inside margin and there is only one column of verses. Each verse starts a new line and there are paragraph marks to let the reader know when a paragraph starts. The space between the verses is roomy, especially in the poetic portions of the Old Testament. The side margins are a little more than an inch wide which is plenty of room for me to make my notes, but others may need slightly wider margins. The verses are bracketed by a thin line at the top, bottom and along the side inside of the cross references which is a very aesthetically pleasing detail. The type is distinctive and very readable even at arms length.
Now, to the paper. Everywhere from blogs to the comments section at Amazon, people mention the paper being too thin and it suffering from too much bleed through. This is a matter that has been blown out of proportion by a vocal few and been carried along by those that have yet to handle this book in person. This to me is a very subjective matter, although there is bleed through, it is not as distracting as some have suggested. If bleed through is an issue, this may not be the Bible for you but if it is something that is not so important. In my opinion it is not much more than other Bibles and for as good a Bible as this is, it something that should be overlooked. If you are going to take notes in this Bible do not use highlighters, use pigment liners to underline. Not only will they not bleed through they will keep your Bible looking neat. For writing your notes use the 005 and for underlining do not use anything bigger than a 03, 01 or 02 are preferable. The 01 will appear as dark as the print itself from the other side. 
Paper too thin? I don’t know, maybe. As I said thats a subjective matter. What I can tell you is that I dug out my old micrometers and measured the thickness, well, attempted to measure. It’s been such a long time since I had used them I am not sure if I read them correctly but the paper is .0017″ thick. There is some bleed through but it’s not distracting and if you use the right pens, underlining and note taking will not be a problem. You can even use colors that will be less not noticeable than black, be sure to try them out prior to use in less visible spot like the concordance to be sure you are happy with the results. The only issue I have with this Bible is the ribbon markers, much too thin for a book this big, aside from that, kudos to Crossway for putting together a very elegant and useful tool for the study of Gods Word. Check out the WTS Bookstore for the best price on the Single Column Reference ESV.
Maybe I’m too picky … to me it’s a huge stumbling block that each sentence is its own paragraph.
Larry, if I had my ‘druthers, this would be in single column paragraph format rather then verse per line. The new Personal Size Reference ESV that is due out in Jan. 08 will be in a single column paragraph. Hopefully this will be enlarged and given a wide margin, that is a format I would like really like to see Crossway release.
The verse per line format is not new. I have an old Cambridge KJV from the late 1970’s that has the same verse per line, although it is in a double column. Lockman’s Side Column Reference NASB is also verse per line.
Does it have maps or book intros? I’ve been considering purchasing the Cambridge Wide Margin when it comes out in the ESV next year as Mark said over on the other site but the 10pt. type is tempting considering good vision doesn’t last forever. Do you know if Crossway’s goatskin binding quality is comparable to Cambridge’s? That’s hard to imagine but I hope so.
Carol, it does have 8 color maps with minor book intros, which I really like. The layout is pretty elegant in my opinion.
The 10pt. font is very readable because it is not cluttered. There is plenty of room between the lines.
Sadly, Crossway does not make goatskin bindings, their premium leather is calfskin. I would really like for them to use goatskin.
Jesus, thanks for the information. Now it’s even more appealing. I have a thing for maps and the design is nice. I remember now that it is calfskin rather than goatskin, my mistake. Whether calf or goat it looks beautiful and soft in your picture. Is there much difference between the skins of calves and goats? Anything has got to be nicer than the plastic-like “genuine” leather I presently use.
I own a few calfskin and a few goatskin. They are distinct from each other in that the calfskin tends to be smoother than the goatskin. The two Cambridge and the one R L Allan in goatskin are great Bibles. The covers are more grainy, very soft but they do have more texture.
The calfskin leather used by Crossway is very soft and since it doesn’t have a “shiny” finish it makes the book look very elegant with an old world feel.
Many times when a Bible is marked as Genuine Leather, it is usually pigskin. It is very durable but can feel like plastic. Crossway and Cambridge are still using high quality leathers whereas the quality of the calfskin used by The Lockman Foundation for their NASB’s is not what it used to be. The newer editions seem to have thinner calfskin.
You must have quite an investment in Bibles to know all this. I’ve also been wanting the Allan’s ESV but have hesitation because of the complaints I’ve read about paper and fuzzy print that apparently comes off. I love the size but also wonder if the print might be a bit small. The drawback to the wide-margin of course is its bulk. But then it’s so useful. I’ve also considered Crossway’s cordovan classic cross-reference which I can get for a mere $101 at Monergism Books. I think that what I’m looking for is a beautiful Bible to grow old with. By the time I save my change I may know which investment I want to make. Did you say at the other blog that you have the Crossway cordovan CCR? If that was you then perhaps you could offer a few comments about that one as well. Thanks for the time you’ve taken to answer my questions.
Carol,
I have the Thinline Cordovan. It is the thinner than the Classic Reference and it does not have any cross references. The book block used by Allan’s is the ESV from Harper Collins in the UK. I have not had any problems with the print rubbing or smearing.
The Cordovan Classic Reference is a great Bible. I am 6′ tall with huge mitts for hands, carrying the SCR is not a problem. If portability is an issue then the Classic Reference Cordovan or Allan’s Reference ESV is the way to go.
Thanks for all the help. I’ve never been at all close to 6 feet and losing bone density over the years the Bible will grow larger in proportion to my size. Perhaps I ought to think small and get reading glasses. Blessings to you.
Carol,
PLease let me know which Bible you decided on, keep me updated on how you like it as well.
Well, I believe I have settled on the single-column reference. But that’s today. Tomorrow my desires may shift. I’m hoping that before long the lack-of-opacity problem will be solved and I will buy one then. The problem though, is that like a kid at Christmas, I have trouble with delayed gratification. The wide-margin Cambridge is still in consideration, but I thought some time ago after using The New Inductive Study Bible for a while that if Crossway produced a single-column wide margin, that would be the perfect Bible for me. I may just take the plunge even with the semi-transparent paper. I don’t know if that would be a huge obstacle for me. I’ve seen it in the store and was put off by it but I think I can overcome that dislike in about a day and a half since everything else about it gets 5 stars. Thanks for the post and the pictures. Perhaps you should feel guilty for creating such discontent and a craving for calf or goatskin in unsuspecting bypassers.
Carol,
I am hoping that Crossway will make their soon to be released, Personal Reference ESV into a larger format with a font size of at least 10pt. and margins of at least 1.25″.
I do not think you will regret either the SIngle Column Reference or the Cambridge Wide Margin when that becomes available. You should still consider getting the R. L. Allan Reference ESV. They are truly fine bindings.
Actually, just yesterday I ordered the Crossway’s Classic Reference in black calfskin. I don’t know how many times in the past few weeks I put it in my shopping cart only to remove it. I’ve used the same Bible since 2001 in genuine leather and the binding is beginning to fall apart. It probably still has a few more years on it and I didn’t think I could justify buying another one, but I finally concluded that calfskin doesn’t need justification. I may in the future buy an Allan’s just for the sake of having one but am expecting to be satisfied with my Crossway. As for the wide margin, I am sure I will eventually buy one, especially after I read your latest post. Now on to reading….
Congrats, Carol!
You will not be disappointed. My ‘lil brother Mark has the Classic Reference in Cordovan. I really like the size of it. Although it is virtually the same book block as the Allan’s Reference ESV, it has a different feel that I really like.
BTW, R L Allan will be reprinting the ESV using the updated and anglicized text. They will be reprinting in April ’08 and the stiff paper will be addressed. Nicholas Gary said that they will be using a new printer. So if you still want an Allan’s Bible, you can start saving your pennies now and by next summer, you can get the improved ESV.
I will probably get the Allan’s and a Cambridge eventually. I say each bible will be my last, or at least until I wear it out, but I seem to have this compulsion to buy bibles. Now I’m getting into the top-shelf thing and I’m going to have to find creative ways of supporting my habit…like buying Bibles instead of groceries…. Are there any support groups for people with this problem? I’m not the only one I know. I think we need help.
Well, since this thread is still going, I’ll offer some information that may be of interest.
…the quality of the calfskin used by The Lockman Foundation for their NASB’s is not what it used to be.
If anyone is looking for the first printing of the NASB Side Column Reference in calfskin, I think you can still buy one from the DTS Book Center. I had just about given up hope of finding one when I noticed the sample photo and sent an email asking whether it was representative of what they have in stock (the same email to 5 other online sites came backing saying, “No, sorry. We need to update our pic.”). Mine was purchased less than two months ago as an early birthday present. :-)
As Jesús alludes to above, the second printing is noticeably inferior in craftsmanship (lower-grade leather, no raised hubs on the spine, inconsistent binding quality) — at least according to numerous comments I’ve read at multiple sites.
This is the first “premium” Bible I’ve owned, and it’s just amazing. The feel and craftmanship are pretty much identical to the ESV Single Column Reference in calfskin, which I’ve looked over pretty closely at a local bookstore. The one notable difference is that the NASB has heavier-weight paper. As best I’ve been able to determine, it’s the same weight as the paper that was used in the ESV Heirloom Reference Edition (27 lbs.). At any rate, when viewed side-by-side with the ESV SCR, there is noticeably less bleed-through (to me).
When I see people comment to the effect that an Allan’s Goatskin is even better, it boggles my mind to imagine what it must be like to hold one.
Now that I will soon have my own calfskin to hold, waiting for the ideal wide-margin should be easier. Surley with all the complaints they’ve received, Crossway will fix the paper issue of the SCR. If not, there’s always the Cambridge double column due out next year to consider as an alternative. It’s dimensions are are larger, but I’ll already have portable calfskin. One for the table, one for the road!
We’re so spoiled in America.
One for the table, one for the road…
words to live by ;-)
I am loking forward to the Cambridge Wide Margin ESV as well. On the other hand, I like the SCR and the paper is not an issue for me.
The NASB Side Column was too large a tome for my taste. I did not have one to measure the paper thickness like I did with my other editions so I do not know how thick the paper actually is.
The goatskin bindings used by R L Allan is better than most any other premium leather available.
Thanks for coming by, TGD
Jesús,
Can you describe how the goatskin that Allan uses is better than the calfskin on the ESV SCR? Or does it have to be held to appreciate the difference?
Goatskin is considered to be tougher and longer wearing than calfskin while still being supple. Both leathers are tanned differently. The tanning process is what turns skin to leather. If you notice in the pictures I have taken of the Crossway Bibles, the leather is a flat black. If you look at the picture I have at the top of my blog, those are Allan’s ESV’s in goatskin. The goatskin used by Allan’s has a different finish, it is a little shinier. The goatskin is “slick” and very soft, the calfskin is a bit more tactile and very soft as well.
Hi Jesus,
Your Calfskin SCR looks like it’s got a new box? Could you tell me about it or have some better pics of it?
It looks different than the old hard box, which I still see in my local Lifeway, being used for “premium” ESV — which is a real gem for home storage of the Bible. Any extra details on the box would be great.
Hey Alex!
I will try and get a better pic of the box for you. That is the only box I have seen the SCR come in. It is pretty much the same as the box for the Deluxe Reference edition except for the banner across the bottom.
Maybe I’ll try to sneak my camera into the campus bookstore the next time I’m there…
The box is seen at the very bottom of Justin Taylor‘s monitor at his Crossway office, two of them in fact. It’s a very sturdy, box… maybe about 0.25″ thick in heavy cardboard, with a magnetic right-side enclosure.
That’s the best pic I’ve found… the box in your pics above seems different than all the other “Premium” ESV boxes I’ve seen. (Though, I have yet to actually get my hands on an actual ESV SCR Premium Calfskin in store — they never seem to have it).
I’m just very tempted right now to get this Bible from WTS, as I’ve got a big shipment of textbooks I plan on buying from them also and make use of the $5 shipping:P
Found a pic of the front of the box here.
All of these images look like the same box to me.
Minor correction. Technically, there are more English translations than that. The number 84 was merely the number in my collection. I have 86 now, but haven’t updated the web page.
Thanks for the reply, Rick! And also for the info on the amount of Bible translations in English.
Alex, I haven’t yet taken a picture of the ESV boxes. I will have something up soon.
Do you guys have any opinion about personalizing your SCR Premium Calfskin by imprinting your name on it?
I read the following from ChristianBook.com‘s product page:
Have any of y’all had your calfskin SCR imprinted? or is there any serious danger in imprinting on its soft, supple leather??
I have had a couple of calfskin Bibles imprinted, including the SCR, and haven’t had any problem with either one.
Larry,
Thanks for the reply. I would like to have a couple of my Bibles imprinted.
Welcome!
Alex,
I too have heard that it is not recommended, mostly due to the fact that not all Bible imprinting is the same. Basically sometimes it works, other times is doesn’t.
Hopefully others will comment about their experience with personalized Bible imprinting as well give specifics as to what goes into it.
Well, the options I am looking at are, buying from either
ChristianBook.com : $130.99 + $5 imprinting = $135.99
MonergismBooks : $107.25 + $10.99 imprinting = $118.24
Imprinting the calfskin SCR would be a great way of making it mine, though not totally necessary. I do not know of any place locally that can do it well & for a good price (I’m in Louisville, KY). Can anybody comment on MongergismBooks’ imprinting?
Otherwise, if I don’t imprint, I’m just going to get it from WTSbooks, as I book textbooks from them all the time. (I almost ordered it yesterday, being soo tempted to get it, but my shopping cart was already at $137 with all the textbooks I need for classes :S )
Well, I can’t comment on the Monergism books’ imprinting, but I bought my calfskin SCR from Discount Bibles (believe their website is discountbible.com) and they did an excellent job, FWIW.
Alex,
Try emailing both Monergism and ChristianBook and ask their opinion about imprinting on calfskin. Also ask anyone from church or school who have any imprinting on their Bible where they got it done.
be sure to keep us updated
Christianbook.com says right on the product page that they recommend against imprinting calfskin bibles:
“We recommend against personalizing premium calfskin Bibles. The oils that make these covers so wonderfully soft and supple will often prevent the imprint from sticking successfully.”
I’ve been told that sometimes it works just fine (as in Mr. Enzor’s case), but often it doesn’t. What puzzles me is why there would be a warning like this when imprinting on the spine never seems to be a problem. Do the publishers use a different process that is somehow superior? Hmmmm…
I guess there are different imprinting processes that companies employ? I have no idea, maybe this is something for further future research ;-)
I got in touch with MonergismBooks and John Hendryx responded to me:
Well then, I think I’ll get mine from Monergism… eventually :)
I don’t have my name imprinted because I like to think that I can follow others examples and give away some of my nicer bibles should I ever find someone who needs it more than I do. Also, I would die a little bit inside if it didn’t take well lol. Good luck.
I just noticed that all I did was repeat information that “sixsteps” had already provided (Christianbook.com’s recommendation against imprinting calfskin bibles). Somehow, I scrolled right past that post without noticing. Sorry about that…
I have never had any of my Bibles imprinted — nor have I any Bibles that could actually be considered ‘expensive’. I would want to get this nice calfskin SCR imprinted only because it would become my primary personal study and teaching-preaching Bible :) (In that case, I may give away my Thinline ESV)
It looks like I’m about to get some additional funding soon for seminary… so maybe I’ll get mine sooner than I thought!
Alex,
I hope that the funding does come for you, the SCR is a fine Bible and you will not be disappointed.
As I mentioned on my blog, Crossway has partnered with the ETS and has given ETS members 50% off from gnpcb.org & free standard shipping until Feb22!
My ESV SCR Premium Calfskin should be on its way to me in the coming week;-) $97.50 is a going to be the best price anywhere as far as I can tell (though, no imprinting for me at this price)
I’ll definitely share some box-opening pics once I get mine ;-)
My SCR Calfskin arrived today! See pictures here.
Question: does this look right to you?
That calfskin looks amazing!… except for the bulge.
Alex, I would recommend you call Stuart at Crossway.
Thanks for the pics!
Stuart Hackett? I’ve communicated with him via emails before… I’ll give Crossway a call in the morning about the bulge.
I was really happy that my Calfskin arrived quickly, but when I opened it… I my heart sunk in disappointment at the mis-alignment in the spine. It’s like the strip of cardboard for the spine slants at the bottom towards the back :(
I really hope I can get an exchange on it…
Yes, Stuart is… dare I say? my homie? He took care of me when my English-Greek Reverse Interlinear started falling apart
Yes! I’m getting it shipped back, and they’re shipping me a new one:)
I visited a local Christian Book Store yesterday (3-12-08) to look at the SCR (single column reference) edition of the ESV. I was quite disappointed.
While the layout is absolutely wonderful, the paper is ridiculously thin. I could actually see verses that were 2 pages deep ‘bleeding’ through. My heart sank! I’ve been looking so hard for a bible (ESV or NKJV) with this exact layout. The poor choice of paper nix’s the deal for me. I will continue to wait.
What is so confusing to me, is it’s clear by the layout that the intended audience for the SCR was the serious student who takes notes. This is why I am so puzzled with Crossway’s utilization of such cheap paper. I am willing to pay DOUBLE if they reproduce this edition with thicker paper.
Until then…<:(
I wonder if anyone knows what “weight” the paper is. For instance, one article I read mentioned that 24 (?pound or weight?) paper and up is good for note taking. Or 24 is the minumum you should get. One websght I visited gave the font, binding, cover, weight of paper in a graph. Can’t find it now.
Since the article is about paper being too thin, anyone know the “weight” of paper and quality (india etc) used on not only this calfskin esv but I am interested mainly in the ESV large print calfskin esv large print 12.75 calfskin
ESV, Large Print Bible (Premium Calfskin Leather, Black, Red Letter) ISBN-13: 9781581349849?
Thanks.
Re Thin paper and the SCR.
I recently contacted Crossway for some information about the Single Column Reference ESV. For the benefit of everyone, here are Stuart Hackett’s replies to my questions.
Q1. There has been some talk on the internet about the paper used being too thin and not opaque enough. Some say it’s OK. Some say that the paper used is 24 lb with the earlier printings, and that the newer printings are 27 lb paper as in the Deluxe Reference Edition. Please could you enlighten me. What is your opinion and do newer printings have the thicker paper? I wish I could view a copy, but none of the bookstores here have stock.
A1. These Bibles have an exceptionally high page count, so we had to use relatively thin paper. Most of these Bibles use approximately 21# (twenty-one pound) paper. However, the new TruTone edition coming out later this month (see http://www.crossway.org/product/9781433502378 ) will feature a bit thicker paper – approximately 24#.
Q2. Does the Premium Calfskin Leather, Single Column Reference edition have the thicker 24# paper? If not, are there plans for new printings to have it?
A2. The calfskin edition does not feature the thicker 24# paper at this time. We do not have any immediate plans to use thicker paper in this Bible, but it is certainly possible that we will in the future. We appreciate your feedback.
Doug.
Hi everyone,
I’m about to purchase the Single Column Reference ESV in the Portfolio/Cordovan, but I’d like the heavier weight paper that Stuart referenced. Does anyone know if this has come out yet, and where I can purchase to make sure I’m getting the heavier weight paper? I’d like to get it from Amazon, but I would hate to get the old stock, which would be the lighter paper. I do have one ordered to come into Borders, just to make sure it’s not too big, so maybe that would be fresh from the factory and have the heavier paper?
I did put in a query to the company, so I’m waiting to hear back. Just wondered if anyone here had had any word.
Jesus, keep up the great work-I enjoy this blog!
By the way, if you go to the Crossway link that Doug has just above, it says: “Published-July 31, 2008″ so I wonder if those are the new ones with the heavier paper.
But I don’t want to pay their full price, so I’d still need to try to get the ones with the newer paper from somewhere else, and I don’t know how to make sure I’m getting the newer paper. Any ideas? Thanks!
Just wanted to let everyone know that I spoke to Stuart at Crossway and the Portfolio Single Column Reference is the only version of the ESV that has 24# paper, and it ALWAYS HAS. So if you get the Portfolio, it will have 24# paper. I got it today, and the paper is so nice and white and easy to read! I really like it!
Now I just read over at Westminster Bookstore that the premium calfskin version (my next purchase if I’m liking the format!) of the Single Column Ref. has 24# paper too. So I’m going to ask Stuart about this, because that would be fantastic!
Military Bible+Waragenda+Christian Waragenda+AIPAC+Tora
Soldiers Bible+U.S.Evangelical-Cionist Soldiers+Iraqwar+Tora
Adolf Hitlers Bible+Nazi Bible+Jesus+David+Eichmann+Menge
le+Olmert+Barack Obama+Jesus+Hitler+NeoCon+CIA+Bible+
Waragenda+of Christianity+U.S-Army+Socom+Mossad+Israel
Iraqwar+Soldiers Bible+Pakistan+CIA+Afghanistan+NATO+Je
sus+Barack Obama+Waragenda+Israel+AIPAC+Olmert+Gaza
war+Socom+Hitler+Military Bible+Nazi Bible+CIA-Bible+Wara
genda+NATO+Waragenda+Jesus+I am a Way? Waragenda!
Atheist 100%
I have to admit I was one of the “vocal few” that blew this out of proportion. But, for those who prefer a little less bleed through I have good news from Paul at evangelicalbible:
“Crossway’s Single Column Reference Bible was slated to become the best selling ESV Bible for good reason. Its format is extremely attractive:
Single Column (as opposed to double column); each verse beginning a new line; references in the gutter (center)-leaving more than 1″ for note taking. The 10.2 font size made it an extremely legible Bible…..So what happened? Basically Crossway (who we keenly appreciate) shot themselves in the foot by producing this Bible with a below average paper weight. A Bible designed for note taking was essentially made with paper that was unable to withstand even the softest inks…. This intelligent and beautiful edition basically sat in the shadows of all of the new Crossway editions.
We are excited to announce that the original single column reference edition now has upgraded its paper in the Brown/Cordovan and the Premium Calfskin Leather editions. The Trutone Black and Leather still have the less opaque paper. With these changes evangelicalbible.com now presents these as the best overall Crossway Reference Bible!”
Marcus
For those of you contemplating taking the ESV SCR ‘plunge’, enjoy the two links below dedicated to persuading you to ‘pull the trigger’ and purchase one:
Here are “50 pictures of my Crossway ESV Single Column Reference Bible in Black Calfskin”:
http://kowalker.com/2010/02/23/50-pictures-of-my-esv-single-column-reference-in-calfskin/
And…
What I consider, “Quite Possible, the Perfect Bible”: (the ESV SCR):
http://kowalker.com/2010/03/01/quite-possibly-the-perfect-bible/
Having read this I believed it was really informative. I appreciate
you taking the time and effort to put this article together.
I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and leaving comments.
But so what, it was still worth it!
The perfect Genocide in the Bible!!!