ESV Story of Redemption Bible

Crossway’s Story of Redemption Bible is one of the most exciting books that I have received in quite some time. For a couple of years now, there has been a great trend toward the beautification of Bibles. This work is among the leaders of this trend. The artwork is simple and elegant. The off-white pages are line matched in a way that generally only appears in premium Bibles. The black text is offset by subtle gold accents in the artwork, chapter numbering, and headers. The cover thoughtfully portrays the redemptive narrative by depicting the four markers of Scripture as the creation, the fall, the cross, and the kingdom. More than a Bible to be seen, this is a Bible to be read.

This Bible is made for the reader over the referencer. That is to say, the design of this Bible is made for those who are going to sit down and consume large portions of Scripture at a time. It comes with multiple recommended reading plans and a beautifully illustrated timeline of Scripture. The notes are not your traditional footnotes. They are reading prompts that guide the reader’s expectation into the next section. These notes are very well thought out and very helpful. The stated goal of the ESV Story of Redemption Bible is to provide “running notes that serve as a sort of tour guide for the reader’s journey through this amazing book.” That goal is well achieved.

As our podcast (in&through podcast) leads readers through the Bible in 2020, this will be my primary reader, and I will enthusiastically recommend it to you as well.