When I received The Apologetics Study Bible (CSB) from B&H/Lifeway, my original intention was to review it and then pass it off to my husband. And then I started reading it, the opening articles drew me in, and I couldn’t stop. What started as skimming for the purpose of a review has turned into a desire to devour everything about this Bible.
You can order a your own Apologetics Study Bible on Amazon here.
The publishers describe The Apologetics Study Bible as a Bible that “helps today’s Christians better understand, defend, and proclaim their beliefs in an age of increasing moral and spiritual relativism. This revised and updated edition includes new articles and extensive apologetics study material from today’s leading apologists to reflect and provide deeper understanding of the relevant apologetics issues and questions being discussed today. Includes commentary from over 90 leading apologists, including: Ted Cabal, Lee Strobel, Chuck Colson, Paul Copan, Norm Geisler, Hank Hanegraaff, Josh McDowell, Albert Mohler, J.P. Moreland, Ravi Zacharias, and many more — plus a lead article by Lee Strobel ( The Case for Christ).
Features include: Presentation page, Book Introductions, Study Notes, Apologetics articles from leading apologists, “Twisted Scripture” explanations for commonly misunderstood passages, Profiles of Christian apologists, Two-color interior, Two-column text, 9.75-point type size, Smyth-sewn binding, Ribbon marker, Full-color maps, and more.
The CSB Apologetics Study Bible features the highly readable, highly reliable text of the Christian Standard Bible® (CSB). The CSB stays as literal as possible to the Bible’s original meaning without sacrificing clarity, making it easier to engage with Scripture’s life-transforming message and to share it with others.”
One of my favorite features of this Bible is the clear study notes at the bottom of the pages. These notes help provide insight to historical customs and context, times when a person chose to sin instead of follow God, and the purposes and meanings behind things like genealogy and numbers. Another feature that I enjoyed while reading the text is the “Twisted Scripture” blurbs spread sporadically throughout. These small sections help illuminate ways that certain cultures, religions, or people groups have taken a certain passage of scripture and twisted it to mean something that distorts the original intention.
Of course the main draw of this Bible aside from the biblical text is the articles themselves. The articles are highlighted throughout with a distinctive gray design on the pages. This helps to distinguish the added articles from the scripture text itself. These articles are in no way adding to scripture but enhancing it, as well as exploring various topics that are controversial and relevant to today’s Christian. There is an index included in the front that lists the title, author, and page number for every article, so if you’re searching for a specific topic, you can find it with ease.
The design of The Apologetics Study Bible is clean and simple, creating a distraction-free reading experience. I will say that due to the content of some of the articles, it can get a bit academic and feel like reading a textbook. However, this doesn’t bother me as I enjoyed reading textbooks in college, but I wanted to mention that these are not light, fluffy articles. I think the hardcover version also adds to the feeling of a textbook, but luckily it’s not so thick that it’s too cumbersome to hold in your lap to read.
As graduation season approaches, I think this Bible would make a great gift for high school or college graduates looking to explore their faith on a deeper level, and it will equip them with intellectual tools to aid them in the defense of their faith. Since the articles are written by a variety of experts, theologians, and apologists, it appeals to a broad age range, as well as both men and women. I highly recommend this Bible, and I’m looking forward to reading more from it throughout the next year as I read the Bible in a year.
To purchase The Apologetics Study Bible (CSB) on Amazon, click here.
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Please note this post contains affiliate links. This means I receive a small commission when you purchase through the link at no additional cost to you. B&H/Lifeway publishers sent me a copy of this Bible in exchange for my honest review. All pictures and opinions contained in this post are my own.
It’s officially 2018, and with the start of a new year means lots of people making plans, goals, and resolutions. I’m not really a resolution type girl, but I do like to make plans (even if that means watching them crash and burn later in the year). Since I started journaling 2 years ago, usually my start of a new year now includes new Bible studies and journaling plans. 
Speaking of new Bible studies, I finally got a hold of the January #Goals kit from Dayspring. There were some delays with this one beyond their control but it’s finally here. 
At first I wasn’t thrilled when I heard the theme of this kit, but then once I saw it, I was totally hooked. This kit is not only packed with some great content and more scripture references, but it is very visually appealing. The geometric patterns and lettering style that they used for the design of this kit makes me want to jump into my Bible and create as I meditate on the Word.
Here are some of my favorite things about #Goals: the shape of the tip-ins make them easier to use in the margin (plus they’re just so pretty), the 8 devotional cards all include a scripture reference in addition to questions and devotional content, the sticker sheet with all the words has filled in the blank space with mini diamond stickers, and can we just admire that geometric diamonds stamp *all the heart eyes* that I just want to use on everything. Also did you notice they’ve added in the color purple to their normal “Illustrated Faith” color scheme?
My one criticism for this kit is that I wish they had picked a different word other than using “hope” twice on the stamp set. I’m not a fan of the duplicates they’ve been prone to doing on the stamp sets lately because since the size has been reduced, I feel like they need to maximize what stamps are included as much as possible. However that geometric diamonds stamp alone would make this kit worth it to me, since I’m a stamp girl and one stamp can really sell a kit or a set to me.
If you watched my unboxing video, you will have seen my bonus process of the first session #Wisdom Goals. I made a bit of a mess in my 
I have also had a chance to work through the second session #Hope Goals in my Thrive Bible. I will say that because there are some duplicates of words in the supplies of this kit, that gives me the opportunity to choose other passages to journal in addition to the ones provided, if I so desire. I also pulled out my Illustrated Faith “Faith Planner” stamp set to use some of the stamps that I felt went well with the #Goals kit, like the triangles, arrows and banners. I also used the Illustrated Faith acrylic paint set on this page and the colors were a perfect match to this kit!
Overall I’m really happy about this first kit of 2018, and I would definitely recommend it. Even if you aren’t a “planner” type, the questions included on the devotional cards so far have been thought-provoking in regards to areas I want to work on in my faith journey.
Kountingsheep 