Study Bible BATTLE! Part 1: Editorial Boards

Last week, Crossway publishers announced they would release a new study bible for the ESV. Ligonier Ministry released their Reformation Study Bible in 2005.

There's been a lot (o.k. -- maybe just some) people looking to judge which study bible is better. Well, there's several months before we know for sure, so [Now entering extremely absurd sarcasm] LET'S SPECULATE!!!

Let's start (and perhaps finish) with the Editorial Boards!

All pairing are listed in ESVSB vs. RSB order.

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Executive Editors: Lane Dennis vs. NONE
Advantage: none.
NOTES: There is no advantage in an executive editor. As long as someone is generally editing the study bible, things should stay on course. Which brings us to . . .

General Editors: Wayne Grudem vs. R. C. Sproul
Advantage: draw.
NOTES: Sure, Grudem has degrees from Harvard and Cambridge on his resume. But Sproul taught at Gordon AND Conwell seperately before they joined to form . . . Voltron.

Theological Editors: J.I. Packer vs. NONE
Advantage: ESVSB
NOTES: J.I. Packer is almost always better than nobody.

Old Testament Editors: C. John Collins vs. Bruce Waltke
Advantage: RSB
NOTES: C. John Collins isn't even the most decorated Old Testament scholar NAMED John Collins. And let me ask you this, which Bruce Waltke knows the Old Testament better than Bruce Waltke? This just in: I just received a list of the translators for the NIV, and it appears . . . TIMES UP!

New Testament Editors: Moise Silva vs. Thomas R. Schreiner
Advantage: ESVSB
NOTES: Intially, I was at a loss to compare these two fantastic New Testament scholars. Then I thought, ANAGRAM WAR! Dr. Silva's anagram is "Massive Soil" while Thomas R. Schreiner's anagram is "Sir North Cashmire". Schreiner wins hands down!

Associate Editors: NONE vs. James Boice/Edmund Clowney/Roger Nicole/J.I.Packer
Advantage: RSB
NOTES: You would hope that the ESVSB would be able to defeat a team of people consisting of three deceased theologians, but to again follow the airtight logic of our previous thoughts, J.I. Packer is almost always better than nobody.

Managing Editor/Assitant Editors: Justin Taylor vs. William Evans and John Mason
Advantage: ESVSB
NOTES: No contest. When I saw Justin Taylor has a discreet adoption fund, I thought "if any child would be deeply blessed to have that man as his father, how much more would he be blessed to have that man as the Managing Editor of his study bible."

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