Another Quick Look at the NISB

I blogged a bit before about the New Interpreter’s Study Bible [NISB], in which I noted that it was somewhat more technical than The Learning Bible and less critical than the Oxford Study Bible.

Since then I have been using it quite a bit in my personal devotions and study, and I’d like to add a couple of points.

First, the NISB is less involved with textual and grammatical issues, and more involved with interpretation and theological application. If you’re a preacher, its notes will lead much more quickly and directly to points you can make in a sermon. It shares this characteristic with The Learning Bible, but since its notes are a bit more in depth it will generally be more useful in sermon preparation.

Second, I have noticed a careful balance in the notes. On page 1959, for example, commenting on Acts 2:23 and the accusation there made against “the Jews” that they had crucified Jesus. The problem with this accusation, of course, is that it has been carried forward by some to just about any group of Jews, and thus has been used extensively by anti-Semites. The Excursus, titled “Responsibility for the Death of Jesus” discusses the meaning of this type of statement within the early Christian church and for modern Christians:

When Jewish Christians spoke of Jews who put Jesus to death, the intra-Jewish nature of the conflict was clear. But when Christians who are no longer Jews speak of “the Jews” as being responsible for the death of Jesus, there is a whole other nuance that fuels anti-Judaism. Luke’s narratives must be understood in both their historical and theological contexts; at the same time, they must not be used to foment anti-Semitism.

Well put, in my opinion. I continue to become more impressed with the notes as I read.