The Spurgeon Study Bible (CSB) — B&H Publishing
“Let us never think we have learned a doctrine until we have seen its fruit in our lives.” — Charles Spurgeon
There is a concept in psychology that has intermittently occupied my thoughts for years now, and it is called cognitive dissonance. The idea is that your true beliefs have to match your actions eventually. If your actions do not match your inner beliefs, that creates a cognitive dissonance that psychologically must be rectified, and either your beliefs or your actions must change. The classic example is: if I believe smoking kills people, but I choose to smoke anyway, I have to either A) stop smoking, or B) decide smoking doesn’t actually kill people (or, more likely, smoking won’t kill me).
This has obvious applications to the Christian life, and Charles Spurgeon threaded this throughout his ministry, always focusing on encouraging his flock to live out in faith rather than simply have correct doctrine. That was obvious throughout my examination of The Spurgeon Study Bible, and it adds tremendously to the impact of the Spurgeon features in the CSB text. Spurgeon’s application is always apparent, and it always cuts like Biblical truth should.
The ongoing B&H focus on Spurgeon, including the Lost Sermons series, has been fantastic, and if this was the climax of the project, dayenu. A partial list of the features includes some of the lost sermon outlines, quotes from Spurgeon beautifully inserted to correspond to the intended scriptures, study notes crafted from the preacher’s own writings, and a short biography of Charles Spurgeon written by Alistair Begg. The best way I know how to dissect a study Bible for review is to break it down into its component parts and consider what I would want in an ideal study Bible, so here it goes. (Disclaimer: I currently own a CSB Study Bible (leather touch) and before that I owned an ESV Study Bible (hardcover), so those are my points of comparison here. I also am in possession of a CSB Disciple’s Study Bible, which I will be reviewing soon.)
Cover: I received a cloth over board Spurgeon Study Bible to review, and I must say that although I always prefer a leather or leather-ish cover (who doesn’t, honestly?), this is the most visually appealing hardcover Bible I’ve ever held. The brown and tan cloth adds a hint of antiquity that matches the anticipated aesthetic of a Spurgeon-themed Bible, the replica engraved Spurgeon signature on the cover is a special touch, and the cloth seems to hold up well in the light use I have given to it. The board part of the cover might wear quickly, especially if you tend to drop your Bible at all (the corner of this one is already a little worn from shipping and then a short fall or two). However, if hardcover isn’t your thing and you’re willing to spend a little more, the Spurgeon Study is also available in black/brown leathertouch, burgundy/marble leathertouch, and black genuine leather.
Mini-biography: the biographical introduction to Charles Spurgeon included at the front of this work is helpful in understanding the context of Spurgeon’s ministry along with his effect on England and the world. Alistair Begg compares the Prince of Preachers to John the Baptist, and while I thought some of the comparisons were a little forced I nonetheless enjoyed the device because it caused me to think about Spurgeon as a prophet (which he definitely was) and consider what contemporary Christian leaders could possibly fit the definition of a prophet in the same sense as John the Baptist and C.H. Spurgeon. It is an interesting thought exercise, given the “speak truth to power” nature of such prophets and their general rarity in Christian history. Another enjoyable experience in my reading of the biography was noticing the breadth of Spurgeon’s influence, as it is also rare to see a preacher with Spurgeon’s level of Biblically-sound teaching have such a strong following. Spurgeon was immeasurably used by God to make a difference in the world, and we are still seeing the effects of that ministry today.
Study notes: crafted from Spurgeon’s sermons, these notes are insightful at the passage level and are especially strong in their application to the Christian life. The only downside is that structuring the study notes in this way inherently changes the purpose of study notes, at least as I understand them. When I’m reading a passage of Scripture, I read the study notes when I have a question about a word or phrase or I am having trouble interpreting the meaning. The Spurgeon study notes sometimes help with interpreting the meaning of a passage, but there are not enough of the notes to adequately rely on them for answers on the word or phrase level. Essentially, it’s a preference issue. Sometimes less is more, and there are still more than enough study notes to have some level of insight on whatever long passage you are studying. For my studying purposes, I highly prefer more study notes, even if they are shorter and lighter on life application.
Sermon illustrations: Throughout the Biblical text, the editors have placed some of Spurgeon’s sermon illustrations next to the passages that they are associated with. These stories and anecdotes are great features that do not appear often but efficiently help the reader apply God’s teachings to their lives (the ultimate low-volume, high-efficiency scorer!).
Sermon notes and outlines: Twenty of Spurgeon’s earliest sermon outlines (from the aforementioned Lost Sermons project) are included in double-page spreads next to the associated text. Spurgeon’s own handwriting is mirrored by a printed (and thus much more legible) version. These are a terrific feature, and I wish there were more of them. The depth of knowledge and application included in these outlines adds tremendously to the study Bible.
Spurgeon quotes: the in-line quotes from Charles Spurgeon are also laid next to the associated text and are written in beautiful script. The aesthetic always charmed me and the content usually stopped me in my tracks to meditate on the Scripture and Spurgeon’s insight a little more fully. They occur all throughout the Biblical text, and this was probably my favorite feature of the entire study Bible.
Book introductions: The features of the introductions to each book of the Bible are mostly similar to those in any other study Bible with the exception of, once again, a short Spurgeon excerpt. These are titled, for instance, “Spurgeon on Genesis”, and provide some sort of commentary on the general theme of that book of the Bible. These were a very nice feature. The full introductions themselves were probably more succinct than your average study Bible which, depending on your perspective, gives you less information but also makes you more likely to read it. Like mostly everything in the Spurgeon Study Bible, moderation is always in view.
Two Final Thoughts on the Text Itself:
First, although this is not a large print version, I would guess that the print is sufficiently large for most people. This makes the overall look and feel of the Biblical text that much more impressive, with the quotes and study notes included on the page.
Second: the CSB (Christian Standard Bible) translation. It is accurately called a translation instead of a “version” because the editors went back to the original manuscripts with the intention of producing a translation that was true to the original meaning of the Biblical texts without sacrificing readability. The result is a translation that consistently enriches my life and helps me understand verses and passages in a slightly different way than before. It is fairly easy to memorize verses in the CSB, and it truly is highly readable. Many people, especially those who have more reasons to go into deep Biblical study than me, say that the CSB is not ideal for depth of study and versions like the NASB are better. I am of the firm belief that for my study (and that of most lay people) the CSB is more than adequate for study, and its accessibility is an added bonus.
In my evaluation, the CSB Spurgeon Study Bible is immensely valuable for everyday Bible reading, historical Christian context, tremendous insight, and some depth of study. I personally prefer my CSB Study Bible to the Spurgeon for some reasons underlined above, but that might simply be the endowment effect in action. However, that does not detract in any way from my enjoyment of reviewing this Bible, and I feel that this would make an amazing gift for someone who has any love for C.H. Spurgeon. It is available through Lifeway, many other Christian book outlets, and Amazon.
I received a review copy of this book courtesy of B&H Books and Lifeway, but my opinions are my own.
