The Didache Bible: An Outstanding New Resource for Understanding God’s Word

The Didache Bible: An Outstanding New Resource for Understanding God’s Word March 2, 2015
The Didache BibleThe Didache Bible arrived on my doorstep recently, and it’s quickly become my new go-to source for Everything You Could Ever Want to Know About the Scriptures.
I’m a collector of books, and I count on my shelves about 30 different editions of the Bible.  A Parallel Bible, a Children’s Bible, Study Bibles, a Christian Women’s Bible, an African American Bible….  Each contains the word of God, of course, but each adds something–commentaries, reflections, meditations, artwork–intended to enhance the reader’s understanding of the text.
Of course, the word of God is there.  And as 2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us:

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

 

But this is really helpful! What makes the new Didache Bible, published by Ignatius Press and the Midwest Theological Forum, so helpful is the wide array of extra features which enhance your study of Scripture.

 

At the front is a guide explaining “How to Read the Bible.”  It reminds you why you should read it, and suggests a reading plan that fits your busy life.

The Brief Summary of Scripture is a six-page listing of the stories told in each book of the Old and New Testaments, making it easy to find the parable you’re looking for.  It’s followed by a five-page Chronology of the Old and New Testaments, which sets the stories–about the public ministry of Christ, for example–in context.

Each book of the scriptures is introduced with a single-page explanation which includes the author and date of the book, the audience for which it was intended, and the main themes.

There are 27 full-color maps, showing Abraham’s migration, the journeys of Jacob and Rachel the routes of the Exodus, the Kingdom of Saul, the fall of Judah, and of course, the journeys of Christ in his Galilean ministry and on the road to Jerusalem, and much more.

But there’s more:  There are numerous apologetical inserts which assist the reader in understanding the Church’s teachings on contemporary issues.  Drawing from the Scriptures and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the apologetical inserts cover a wide range of topics such as (selected at random) Just War; the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes; Christ’s Descent Into Hell; the Perpetual Virginity of Mary; and the Mass as the New Passover.  I can imagine referring to these again and again! There’s an extensive 43-page Glossary of terms, and a topical index.

The Didache Bible uses the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition.  It’s a handsome hardcover, with a sewn binding and two gold ribbons for marking your place.  Even if you didn’t realize you needed it, you should put this book on your wish list.

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