Crossway has recently released a brand new Bible: The ESV Bible With Creeds and Confessions. I absolutely love this Bible, and I’m happy to share why!
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ESV Bible With Creeds and Confessions
Before I share why I love this Bible, let me provide you with the features:
- 13 historic creeds and confessions placed in the back, including the Apostles Creed (ca. 200–400), the Nicene Creed (325), the Athanasian Creed (381), the Chalcedonian Definition (451), the Augsburg Confession (1530), the Belgic Confession (1561), the Articles of Religion (1563), the Canons of Dort (1618–19), the Westminster Confession (1646), the London Baptist Confession (1689), the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), the Westminster Larger Catechism (1647), and the Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647)
- Introductions to each of the 13 creeds and confessions written by historian Chad Van Dixhoorn
- Smyth-sewn binding
- Ribbon markers
- Double-column format
- Lifetime guarantee (TruTone and leather editions)
I am reviewing the Black TruTone edition of this Bible. First, the physical Bible itself. I am blown away by the TruTone! I have purchased other TruTone bibles from Crossway in the past, and they are nothing like this one. This new TruTone design somewhat resembles authentic leather in both look and feel. It’s not stiff, and it doesn’t seem like it’s prone to peel (though time will have to tell). Aesthetically, this is a stunning bible!
The spine is one of my favorite parts of the Bible. It has five raised ribs on the spine giving it a very classic look, and then “Holy Bible”, “with Creeds and Confessions”, “ESV”, “English Standard Version”, and the “Crossway” logo are all in gold. The page edges are also gold, and the Bible contains two ribbon markers (which I love!). I also love the size of this Bible (not too big, and not too small: 6.125 in x 9.125 in trim size).
The font size in this Bible is 10.5 which is very comfortable to read, and it is a double-column format. Apart from the cross references (provided at the lower right corner of every page) and headings, the Bible itself is very simple and doesn’t have anything distracting the reader from the text itself (i.e. no commentary notes, pictures, figures, or anything else).
The Creeds and Confessions
Now, let’s get to the “Creeds and Confessions” part of this Bible. At the back of the Bible, the reader will find a section called “Creeds and Confessions”. After a table of contents which provides the 13 different creeds and confessions and their page numbers, there is a general introduction. I think the format of this section is very well done!
Each creed or confession begins with an introduction before leading in to the original text. The font is different between the intro and the actual creed/confession, so it’s easy to know when the introduction is over and the creed/confession has begun.
My only complaint for this section is the ordering of the creeds/confessions. I’m not entirely sure what the method is to the ordering. It isn’t chronological except for the first four creeds. The Westminster Standards aren’t kept together, nor are the Three Forms of Unity. This is a great mystery to me, and I wish they would have grouped them together OR provided them in the order that they were produced (by year). This is my only criticism of this Bible.
I love the Creeds and Confessions that are included in this Bible. I personally hold to the Westminster Standards, so it’s great to have an amazing Bible that also has the Standards included in the back of the Bible. I also like having the early church creeds in this Bible! These are beliefs that make a Christian a Christian, and it’s definitely beneficial to be aware of what the church has historically confessed and believed. It can also be beneficial to have the confessions of those whom we may disagree with on certain points. There will be much agreement between these different confessions, but it’s important to know where they disagree. This Bible is helpful to the end that we would be able to rejoice in what we believe the Bible is teaching, and also to understand what others in the church have believed for centuries.
This Bible is stunning, both inside and out! I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Disclaimer: My thanks to Crossway for providing me with a complimentary copy of this Bible in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Matt became a joyful follower of Jesus at the age of 21. He is very grateful to be a husband to Lindsey, and a father to four boys. He is an ordained minister (teaching elder) in the PCA. He previously served as a pastor of biblical counseling and is currently a corporate chaplain in southern Delaware. Matt received his Master of Divinity degree in Biblical Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and holds an advanced certification in biblical counseling from the Association of Biblical Counselors. In his free time, he loves playing with his boys, traveling with his wife, and reading (and buying!) books.
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