Slumdog Millionaire: Best Movie of the Year

The Oscars this year are a bit of a bore. I mean the movies nominated for best picture are so, well Oscary. They are the kinds of movies that always get nominated as if they know when they are making them - Movies like The Reader, Frost/Nixon, Benjamin Button and Revolutionary Road - I am not saying these are not good movies (I have seen Benjamin Button and that was great!) - But still...Oscary.

I would have loved to have seen The Dark Knight nominated for best picture - that would have at least created some interest in the Oscars this year - and it would say that "If you make a good movie, even if it is not a genre that usually gets nominated, it can win Best Picture." Like The Return of the King in 2004 - It would say "We don't only nominate depressing, artsy, Holocaust movies that people like but rarely see more than once." 

Not that I am original in saying this but there really is no debate about the best movie of the year. I have to even say that as much as I loved the Dark Knight, Slumdog is better. I do not here want to really even engage the debate about whether it is "slum-porn", exploitative, etc., I think such arguments are founded on the premise that every movie set in a poor setting must by default be a social commentary on the issues - as if no story can transcend - 

The movie is brilliant in every way: story-telling, acting, writing, music and directing. The movie is original and risky in a sense - as it does expose some of the realities behind the poverty, which I have seen firsthand in my journey through India two years ago. It highlights the massive flattening of the world through globalization and the movement toward India of many tech companies etc., (Read Thomas Friedman's "The World is Flat" and the story which opens it which takes place in India and has to do with golf and IBM) - anyway it is about love, determinism (hinting that there maybe someone or something writing our stories for us, and obviously its a kind of rags to riches as well)... 

It is the most creative way I have seen to tell a story in a while, reminded me of a Usual Suspects, or a Memento (though not quite as good or original as either of those films) - it was similar in its original way of telling the main protagonists story...I look forward to seeing it a second time with my wife - who didn't see it with me the first time. 

When it comes out on video.

Christian Hedonism: A Concept to Live By

Years ago I read John Piper's book Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist. It is a great book, the introduction itself is worth reading it. The concept of the book has been often misunderstood by people. Here is a good article by Piper about the book, but more importantly about the concept behind the book: finding our greatest joys in life rooted in Jesus.

What Is Christian Hedonism?

My shortest summary of Christian Hedonism is: God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.

We all make a god out of what we take the most pleasure in. Christian Hedonists want to make God their God by seeking after the greatest pleasure—pleasure in him.

By Christian Hedonism, we do not mean that our happiness is the highest good. We mean that pursuing the highest good will always result in our greatest happiness in the end. We should pursue this happiness, and pursue it with all our might. The desire to be happy is a proper motive for every good deed, and if you abandon the pursuit of your own joy you cannot love man or please God.

The Difference Between Worldly and Christian Hedonism

Some people are inclined to believe that Christians are supposed to seek God’s will as opposed to pursuing their own pleasure. But what makes Biblical morality different than worldly hedonism is not that Biblical morality is disinterested and duty-driven, but that it is interested in vastly greater and purer things. Christian Hedonism is Biblical morality because it recognizes that obeying God is the only route to final and lasting happiness. Here are some examples of this from the Bible:

Luke 6:35 says, "Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great." It is clear when Jesus says “expect nothing in return” that we should not be motivated by worldly aggrandizement, but we are given strength to suffer loss by the promise of a future reward.

Again, in Luke 14:12-14: "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor . . . and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." That is, don't do good deeds for worldly advantage; rather, do them for spiritual, heavenly benefits.

Should Duty Be Our Main Motivation?

But some will say, "No, no. These texts only describe what reward will result if you act disinterestedly. They do not teach us to actually seek the reward."

Two answers to this objection:

1) It would be foolish to say, "If you take this pill, I’ll give you a nickel," if you expect the desire for the nickel to ruin the pill. But Jesus was not foolish. He would not offer blessing to those who obey him and then hold it against us if these blessings motivated our obedience.

2) Even more importantly, there are texts that not only commend that we do good in the hope of future blessing, but command it.

Luke 12:33 says, "Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail." The connection here between alms and having eternal treasure in heaven is not a chance result—it is the explicit purpose: "Make it your aim to have treasure in heaven, and the way to do this is to sell your possessions and give alms."

And again, Luke 16:9 says, "Make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into eternal habitations." Luke does not say that the result of using possessions properly is to receive eternal habitations. He says, "Make it your aim to secure an eternal habitation by the way you use your possessions."

Therefore, a resounding NO to the belief that morality should be inspired more by duty than delight.

Don’t Be Too Easily Satisfied

Hebrews 11:6 teaches, "Without faith it is impossible to please [God]. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” You cannot please God if you do not come to him looking for reward.Therefore, faith that pleases God is the hedonistic pursuit of God.

As Christian Hedonists we know that everyone longs for happiness. And we will never tell them to deny or repress that desire. It is never a problem to want to be satisfied. The problem is being satisfied too easily. We believe that everyone who longs for satisfaction should no longer seek it from money or power or lust, but should come glut their soul-hunger on the grace of God. We will bend all our effort, by the Holy Spirit, to persuade people

• that they can be happier in giving than receiving (Acts 20:35);

• that they should count everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus their Lord (Philippians 3:8);

• that the aim of all of Jesus' commandments is that their joy be full (John 15:11);

• that if they delight themselves in the Lord he will give them the desire of their heart (Psalm 37:4);

• that there is great gain in godliness with contentment (1 Timothy 6:6);

• and that the joy of the Lord is their strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

We will not try to motivate anyone with appeals to mere duty. We will tell them that in God’s presence is full and lasting joy (Psalm 16:11) and our only duty is to come to him, seeking this pleasure.

The Problem of Evil

The chief objection to the Christian belief in a God who is all powerful, all knowing, and benevolent is the presence of evil and suffering in the world. This is not a mere intellectual question. We have felt pain in our own lives. We have watched news reports or read history of atrocities and asked, “Why?.”

Here is a general introduction of Christianity's response to the 'problem' of evil.

Two Affirmations

I will begin by making my own position clear with two affirmations. In order to understand the compatibility of a belief in a good, omnipotent, and omniscient God with the reality of evil and suffering, we need to recognize two key confessional elements:

1) God desires relationship with humanity.

2) Through God’s grace as demonstrated definitively in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, suffering is not the final word and suffering itself may be redemptive on this side of eternity.

Typology of Evil

We need to understand evil in terms of two categories: Moral and Natural. Moral evil is the consequence of the actions of people that go against God’s intentions for Creation. In other words, much of the evil present in the world is the result of human sin. A sub-category of this would be satanic/demonic evil. The Bible clearly indicates the presence of a being who epitomizes evil. Natural evil involves pain and suffering from the result of natural disasters: floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc. Thinkers are divided over whether or not the perfect Creation described in Genesis 1:1-2:25 included such things as floods, tsunamis, earthquakes or whether these are indicative of the Creation in the post-Genesis 3 reality in which we find ourselves.

Toward an Answer

1) God permits the possibility of evil because of his desire for authentic and genuine relationship and fellowship with His Creation.

God created humanity as the pinnacle of his creation to serve in community with God and one another (male and female) as God’s regents and ambassadors to all creation by reflecting and embodying his character. God did not coerce this. God set up generous boundaries in which humanity was free to live. But humanity was not content with this. Genesis 3-11 reports the infestation of Creation by sin in the aftermath of humanity’s breaching of relationship. In the world as it now exists, all humans and all human institutions are infested and permeated with sin. This has resulted in the fracture of creation itself and perhaps Natural Evil can be understood to be the result of humanity’s sin.

From Genesis 3 onwards, God has shifted his mission to redeem this lost humanity as well as move history to the day when Creation as a whole would be redeemed. Paul looks to the day when God will act to redeem not only human suffering but also the fractures of Creation.

Romans 8:18: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Revelation offers a similar portrait in its deployment of the language of New Creation:

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

2) Through God’s grace as demonstrated definitively in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, suffering is not the final word and suffering itself may be redemptive on this side of eternity.

Jesus’ death on the cross proclaims the victory of God over sin and the forces of evil. The life, death, and resurrection offers the hope, healing, and restoration of God’s love in the face of evil.

Jesus’ Life, Death, and Resurrection as a Demonstration of God’s Love

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

A Life in Jesus Subverts Suffering and Transforms It into Soul Development

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

1 Peter 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. 2 As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

The Way Forward

Christian Community. Followers of Jesus Christ are to be known by love by insiders to the faith and by outsiders to whom they manifest God’s love. In the face of evil, intentional acts of love by Christ followers can make tangible the love of God in Jesus Christ. Many persons have found great comfort in the community of God’s people. The reality of evil amplifies the critical role that community plays in God’s intentions for humanity.

Prayer. Prayer is a gift from God. The book of Psalms models for God’s people a variety of responses to God including praise, lament, and thanksgiving. During times of crisis, the psalmists deploy the lament psalm in which all sorts of emotions are lifted up to God. In the face of evil, followers of Christ are invited to pray fervently to a God who listens.

Prayer and the Sovereignty of God

Lately I have had some good conversations around the theology of the sovereignty of God and prayer. The Sovereignty of God is a term which means that all things are under God's rule and control, and that nothing happens without His direction or permission. God works not just some things but all things according to the counsel of His own will (see Eph. 1:11). His purposes are all-inclusive and never thwarted (see Isa. 46:11); nothing takes Him by surprise. The sovereignty of God is not merely that God has the power and right to govern all things, but that He does so, always and without exception. In other words, God is not merely sovereign de jure (in principle), but sovereign de facto (in practice).

People struggle with this, I struggle with this, because sometimes it seems like no one is in control of anything. But the Scriptural evidence is convincing: God is in control of everything that happens. There are a tone of issues that people have with this, and the reason for this post is not to address any of them accept how it relates to prayer. 

Someone said to me the other day: "If people are elect and predestined before the beginning of time to be Christians [Eph. 1.1-11; Rom. 9) what is the point of laboring to tell the world about Jesus, or even praying for people?" It is a great and weighty question - that needs both a complex and simple answer. Let me offer the thoughts of John Piper to answer both, a man who has written on, thought and preached more about this issue than any other, and who is thus disliked by many in the Christian world - but I think his thoughts here are worth sharing and at thinking about:

The assumption of the idea that prayer is pointless if God determines all things is that if prayer is to be effective at all man must have the power of self-determination. That is, all man's decisions must ultimately belong to himself, not God. For otherwise he is determined by God and all his decisions are really fixed in God's eternal counsel.

1. "Why pray for anyone's conversion if God has chosen before the foundation of the world who will be his sons?" A person in need of conversion is "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1); he is "enslaved to sin" (Romans 6:17; John 8:34); "the god of this world has blinded his mind that he might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" (II Corinthians. 4:4); his heart is hardened against God (Ephesians 4:18) so that he is hostile to God and in rebellion against God's will (Romans 8:7). 

Now I would like to turn the question back to my questioner: If you insist that this man must have the power of ultimate self-determination, what is the point of praying for him? What do you want God to do for Him? You can't ask that God overcome the man's rebellion, for rebellion is precisely what the man is now choosing, so that would mean God overcame his choice and took away his power of self-determination. But how can God save this man unless he act so as to change the man's heart from hard hostility to tender trust?

Will you pray that God enlighten his mind so that he truly see the beauty of Christ and believe? If you pray this, you are in effect asking God no longer to leave the determination of the man's will in his own power. You are asking God to do something within the man's mind (or heart) so that he will surely see and believe. That is, you are conceding that the ultimate determination of the man's decision to trust Christ is God's, not merely his.

What I am saying is that it is not the doctrine of God's sovereignty which thwarts prayer for the conversion of sinners. On the contrary, it is the unbiblical notion of self-determination which would consistently put an end to all prayers for the lost. Prayer is a request that God do something. But the only thing God can do to save a lost sinner is to overcome his resistance to God. If you insist that he retain his self-determination, then you are insisting that he remain without Christ. For "no one can come to Christ unless it is given him from the Father" (John 6:65,44).

PRAYERLESS vs. PRAYERFUL

Prayerless: I understand that you believe in the providence of God. Is that right?

Prayerful: Yes.

Prayerless: Does that mean you believe, like the Heidelberg Catechism says, that nothing comes about by chance but only by God's design and plan?

Prayerful: Yes, I believe that's what the Bible teaches.

Prayerless: Then why do you pray?

Prayerful: I don't see the problem. Why shouldn't we pray?

Prayerless: Well, if God ordains and controls everything, then what he plans from of old will come to pass, right?

Prayerful: Yes.

Prayerless: So it's going to come to pass whether you pray or not, right.

Prayerful: That depends on whether God ordained for it to come to pass in answer to prayer. If God predestined that something happen in answer to prayer, it won't happen without prayer.

Prayerless: Wait a minute, this is confusing. Are you saying that every answer to prayer is predestined or not?

Prayerful: Yes, it is. It's predestined as an answer to prayer.

Prayerless: So if the prayer doesn't happen, the answer doesn't happen?

Prayerful: That's right.

Prayerless: So the event is contingent on our praying for it to happen?

Prayerful: Yes. I take it that by contingent you mean prayer is a real reason that the event happens, and without the prayer the event would not happen.

Prayerless: Yes that's what I mean. But how can an event be contingent on my prayer and still be eternally fixed and predestined by God?

Prayerful: Because your prayer is as fixed as the predestined answer.

Prayerless: Explain.

Prayerful: It's not complicated. God providentially ordains all events. God never ordains an event without a cause. The cause is also an event. Therefore, the cause is also foreordained. So you cannot say that the event will happen if the cause doesn't because God has ordained otherwise. The event will happen if the cause happens.

Prayerless: So what you are saying is that answers to prayer are always ordained as effects of prayer which is one of the causes, and that God predestined the answer only as an effect of the cause.

Prayerful: That's right. And since both the cause and the effect are ordained together you can't say that the effect will happen even if the cause doesn't because God doesn't ordain effects without causes.

Prayerless: Can you give some illustrations?

Prayerful: Sure. If God predestines that I die of a bullet wound, then I will not die if no bullet is fired. If God predestines that I be healed by surgery, then if there is no surgery, I will not be healed. If God predestines heat to fill my home by fire in the furnace, then if there is no fire, there will be no heat. Would you say, "Since God predestines that the sun be bright, it will be bright whether there is fire in the sun or not"?

Prayerless: No.

Prayerful: I agree. Why not?

Prayerless: Because the brightness of the sun comes from the fire.

Prayerful: Right. That's the way I think about the answers to prayer. They are the brightness, and prayer is the fire. God has established the universe so that in larger measure it runs by prayer, the same way he has established brightness so that in larger measure it happens by fire. Doesn't that make sense?

Prayerless: I think it does.

Prayerful: Then let's stop thinking up problems and go with what the Scriptures say. Ask and you will receive. You have not because you ask not.

-----------------------

The point here is that the preaching of the gospel, and the praying that empowers it forward are just as predestined as is the believing of the gospel because as Paul says: "we are co-laborers with God" (1 Cor. 3.9) - God invites us, demands us to join in the missio dei (the mission of God).

God has promised to respond to prayer, and his response is just as contingent upon our prayer as our prayer is in accordance with his will. "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (I John 5:14). When we don't know how to pray according to God's will but desire it earnestly, "the Spirit of God intercedes for us according to the will of God" (Romans 8:27).

I find great comfort in the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. The book of Revelation gives a great image of this. In chapter five when the lamb who was slain (Jesus) walks up to the one on the throne and takes the scroll of history in his hand. The readers are supposed to understand, that while the world around them looks chaotic, and everyone is questioning control. Things are not a they seem. There is a lamb holding, controlling and directing history - He is sovereign, and everything that happens, including the Fall of humankind, is in accordance with his will (Eph. 1.11). 

As many questions as this raises, in the end it is biblical, and it is comforting in times of struggle.

Blessings to all those who need to hear that God is sovereign. 

Benjamin Button on New Years Eve

It just dawned on me this morning; how ironic it was seeing Benjamin Button yesterday (Dec. 31). It is a movie all about time, growing old, regrets, forgiveness, life. Its is about the fact that a life is not summed up simply by adding up its number of years, so much more than just the ticking of time's clock, even the clock in the New Orleans train station which was deliberately set up to run backwards. The film is not meant to be believed in its scientific proposal that this could actually happen--though coming out on Christmas surely does allude to another amazing birth that defies science as well--it is meant as a metaphor for growing old and the tensions and struggles that come with it.

The movie really only has one gimmick, and that is Benjamin growing younger as everyone else grows older. It doesn't mean he lives longer than anyone else, it doesn't mean that is special in any ways beyond that--he doesn't invent something, meet presidents, or change history. It is a normal story of a life, love, pain, growing old, and of course one of its major themes is death. In the movie death is something that happens to all of us, its just a matter of time, and it is painful, but it is meant to be. As one character says to Benjamin "Death happens to those we love so we can appreciate how much they mean to us."

I felt that even bigger than the theme of death though was the theme of change. Throughout the movie the pain, struggle comes as a result of change--"Why does everything have to change, why can't it just stay just like this"; "I hate growing old"--things like that. Sentiments that are surely universal, and hit me hard. 

There is also the theme of forgiveness. People throughout the movie are encouraged to forgive those who wronged them: "Even if you are as mad as a mad dog, in the end you just have to let go"... Beautiful and true.

There are a few parallels here to Forrest Gump (same writer), but this movie is not trying to do the same thing at all. Where Forrest was a vehicle through which the audience experienced history, Button is a vehicle through which we are faced with the deepest questions of life, at the center of which is relationships. 

This is a good movie. Its long and could have been a little shorter but not much--maybe 15 mins--but its brilliantly executed from start to finish. Every frame is thought through and beautiful. In that way it reminded me of No Country for Old Men. You can just tell the director (David Fincher) casts a vision, and a team thought through every angle, color and background. I appreciate movies like this. 

Seeing this on New Years Eve was interesting; thinking about time, a clean slate, opportunities ahead, and ones missed in the past. It made me want to be a better husband, and better father. As I think about life and where its going my hope is that Jesus help me in doing what he himself commanded: to love God and love neighbor to the best of my ability to God's glory Matthew 22.37-39).

So rings true the words of Edith Lovejoy Pierce "We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them. The book is called Opportunity, its first chapter is New Year's Day."

The ESV Study Bible

The other day I bought myself an ESV Study Bible - The one I got was $87.00, but if there is something I will pay good money for it is a Bible. This is a translation which I first was exposed to in 2003 (the year it was first published). My friend Brad and I were working at the annual gathering of the ETS (Evangelical Theological Society) in Toronto - we were working for InterVarsity Press (Free books and 10 bucks an hour you can't go wrong!) - It had just come out in a bland hard copy version - 

Interested in what it had to offer, we bought it and neither of us has regretted it. It has been helpful over the years - and has been becoming more and more a part of my study as the years have gone on. It is a great translation with many theologians and linguist at the helm which I respect including J.I Packer, Wayne Grudem, William Mounce, Greg Beale, and Craig Blomberg. The study notes are written by great biblical scholars such as Frank S. Thielman, Clinton Arnold, and Thomas R. Schreiner. Also three teachers from my school (Regent College) are responsible for the notes: V. Phillips Long (Joshua), Iain Provan (1 and 2 Kings) and J.I Packer who was the theological editor for the entire Study Bible.

On that note, J.I. Packer has said about his involvement with the Study Bible: "I find myself suspecting very strongly that this was the most important thing that I have ever done for the Kingdom" - This is a big statement from the person who wrote "Knowing God" one of the all time best selling, most read, most beloved Christian books of all time - and a classic in every right. (A must read for anyone reading this who has not bee blessed by its pages)

Also, Pastors such as James Macdonald, Mark Driscoll and John Piper have officially changed their preaching Bible to the ESV which says alot.  It is a good translation that balances linguistic faithfulness and contemporary readability. It is a good balance of being a "word for word" translation (think NASB) with meaning for meaning flow (think NIV, NLT) - with much needed corrections and updates to the NIV ("righteousness from God" in Romans? Where did the NIV derive such a concept? Its the "righteousness of God"!)
About a month ago they released the ESV Study Bible. I am excited, and in the words of Merry and Pippin from The Lord of the Rings "I'm getting one!" Well, as mentioned above I already got one. I found a list someone had written; 10 reasons why the ESV Study Bible is great. I thought I would share it with you as I agree with each point he makes:

___________________________________

1. It’s based on the English Standard Version, which is one of the finest and most faithful translations available today. While it’s always good to consult various translations for study, the ESV does a great job recognizing variants in translation in the footnotes.

2. The introductory notes to each book are informative and helpful, and don’t overwhelm you with interesting but non-essential background information.

3. The notes are extensive and answer questions I actually have about the text, without avoiding difficult passages.

4. The notes cover material that is not only helpful, but pastoral, aimed at helping me understand God’s Word better and as a result in growing in Christian faith.

5. The notes are well laid out. I’ve found them easy to follow along with the text.

6. The treatment of the first few chapters of Genesis is very even-handed and well-researched. The notes aim to give us an appreciation for the interplay of science and the Bible without giving ground on the ultimate authority of Scripture.

7. The focus is always Gospel-centered. The notes seek to answer the question, “Where does this section of the Bible fit into the larger story of God sending Jesus to redeem a people for his glory?”

8. The articles in the back of the Bible are almost a book in themselves (I’d love to see Crossway publish these separately), and address many significant issues clearly, briefly, and effectively. They include Biblical Doctrine, Biblical Ethics, Reading the Bible, The Reliability of Bible Manuscripts, The Bible and World Religions, and the History of Salvation in the Old Testament. In addition there are several additional articles between the Old and New Testaments that shed light on the inter-testamental period.

9. The maps and illustrations actually contain the cities, areas, and details I want to know about, and are placed close to the passages they refer to.

10. The notes don’t go beyond what the text says. They affirm what is clear, and plainly present different views when a word, phrase, or passage is unclear.

The only negative comment I’d make at this point is that the Bible is so big it’s hard to imagine carrying it around a lot. Unless I also want to use it as part of my exercise program.

But it’s a Study Bible, especially useful for personal devotions. I’m so eager to read through the ESV Study Bible that I’m setting a goal to read through the entire Bible with text notes by the end of 2009. It’s an ambitious goal, at least for me. The Bible and text notes come in at almost 2500 pages. Over 14 months, that’s about six pages a day, without missing a day. Like I said…it’s ambitious. But I’d rather aim high and fall short of my goal than aim low and miss it. I’ve found that I do better when I attempt a Bible reading plan that necessitates God’s grace than one that I can accomplish on my own.

__________________

Here is a list of endorsements from Christian leaders, Pastors and Theologians:

“I was privileged to act as General Editor of the English Standard Version, and now that I look back on what we did in producing that version, I find myself suspecting very strongly that this was the most important thing that I have ever done for the Kingdom, and that the product of our labors is perhaps the biggest milestone in Bible translation in certainly the last half century at least, and perhaps more. And now, as Theological Editor of the ESV Study Bible, I believe that the work we have done together on this project has set an altogether new standard in study Bibles.”
J. I. Packer, Professor of Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, Canada

“The ESV is a dream come true for me. The rightful heir to a great line of historic translations, it provides the continuity and modern accuracy I longed for. Now the scope and theological faithfulness of the ESV Study Bible study notes is breathtaking. Oh how precious is the written Word of God.”
John Piper, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, MN

“The ESV Study Bible is the most important resource that has been given to the emerging generation of Bible students and teachers. The ESV Study Bible is the best. Period.”
Mark Driscoll, Preaching Pastor, Mars Hill Church, Seattle, WA; President, Acts 29 Church Planting Network

“The definitive clarity and beauty of the ESV Study Bible is extraordinary. In a world where words are distorted to mean anything, it is wonderful to have complete confidence in the reliability and truth of the Bible—so clearly and persuasively demonstrated by this world-class team of Bible scholars and teachers. For everyone who wants to understand God’s Word in a deeper way, the ESV Study Bible is an outstanding resource. I will be an avid user!”
Joni Eareckson Tada, Founder, JAF International Disability Center, Agoura Hills, CA

“Outstanding! The ESV Study Bible is a treasure—a beautiful volume, filled with a wealth of resources. It will be just as useful for the seminarian and long-time pastor as it will be accessible to the brand-new Christian.”
R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY

“Wow! Concise, lucid, enlightening—the ESV Study Bible is an amazing resource. With its textual fidelity, doctrinal substance, and artistic beauty, the ESV Study Bible will be an immense help to all who hunger for God-breathed Scripture. I wholeheartedly recommend this exceptional resource.”
Randy Alcorn, bestselling author of Heaven and Money, Possessions, and Eternity