Lutheran Bible Companion Set

This set is simply the most usable, reader friendly companion to Bible study I have ever seen. The layout is not overly busy, but the amount of information about the books of the Bible is astounding! Each book of the Bible is introduced with an outline. There is historical information, plenty of photos and maps, along with commentary of Lutheran Theologians. If you are serious about Bible study, this set belongs on your book shelf. You will turn to it again and again as a resource.

I'm a bit of a junkie when it comes to studying the Bible and Lutheranism to start with so when I saw these I HAD to have them. They arrived yesterday and first of all, pulling them out of the box reminded me of the first day of school. They are sized like the textbooks I remember as a child and even the paper has that feel to it. They are bright and colorful inside and out and very easy to read without being elementary. I was up half the night reading and just delighting in them. Thank you for putting out such a great study aid. I will be using them and enjoying them for years to come.

From both a content and a layout perspective, the editors clearly outdid themselves in the production of these volumes, designed to be a companion to the Lutheran Study Bible. It is remarkably replete in up-to-date information, confessionally sound, colorful and inviting to peruse, and includes the Apocrypha. This tool, edited by Edward A. Engelbrecht, reflects the same high level of quality characteristic of his other CPH efforts. The books deal with the traditional topics of authorship, date of composition, purpose/recipients, literary features, and outline in a compact and practical manner. But, where other books of introduction end, the Lutheran Bible Companion continues, dealing with topics not commonly tackled by other introductory handbooks. Of substantial note to Lutheran readers is the attention paid to doctrinal content, specific Law and Gospel themes, applications, and selections from the writings by noted Lutheran theologians, Luther and Gerhard, Unique to works of this kind, the editors have given prominent space to "questions people ask" of the various biblical books. Illustrations selected from major works of art, helpfully clear maps, and photographs of archaeological finds and artifacts from the lands of the Bible, some of them quite recent (e.g., the James Ossuary, subject of a 2012 trial in Israel, 2:252) make this a feast for the eyes as well as the mind. Of special note are the "Further Study" sections at the end of each biblical book. Division into "Lay/Bible Class," "Church Worker," and "Academic" categories of resources coupled with brief annotations will prove particularly useful to lay persons and professional church workers alike in navigating the welter of materials available for additional study. The 150+ page Bible Dictionary and Index adds value to the resource, linking topics to sections in both volumes of the Companion. The Lutheran Bible Companion belongs on the shelf of every Sunday school and Bible class teacher and church worker. No other resource combines such accurate and current, believing scholarship, with such colorful presentation, and attention to the doctrinal emphases of confessional Lutherans. The faithful study and teaching of the Bible in Lutheran congregations will be enhanced by this gift to the church by CPH. - Dennis E. McFadden, Fort Wayne, IN