NIV, Faithlife Study Bible | Page 28

Editor ’ s Preface

When you see the Bible in its ancient context , it comes to life as a body of literature that shaped God ’ s people . These are the people who were known first as the sons of Jacob , the people of Israel , and later as the Jewish people , and from them came Jesus and the Christian tradition . This is the true story of the whole world , of every person , and of our deep need for relationship with the God who made the universe . This is the story of how God sought to know us and love us — by sending his Son to die and rise for us , so that we may truly live .

Faithlife Study Bible ( FSB ) invites you to find your place in this story by understanding the Bible more fully — and to feed your curiosity about God and his work in the world .
VISION
Faithlife Study Bible helps remove the obstacles to understanding the Bible , so people with any level of knowledge and experience can pursue an enriching study of Scripture . We encourage you to read a passage , then read the study notes , and then go back to the passage . Our ultimate goal is to help you engage with God ’ s Word — and with God himself .
Faithlife Study Bible bridges contextual gaps . FSB is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments . For each biblical passage , we have curated the most relevant data to illuminate the biblical text , from archaeological findings to manuscript research . Historical , cultural and linguistic details help you understand the background of the Bible so you can interpret its significance . Study notes , media and articles connect the dots from Genesis to Revelation , revealing how the story of God unfolds across different books and eras . FSB also looks at the Bible as a work of literature , explaining how different genres , narrative structures and literary devices shape the text .
The notes provide explanations of the Hebrew , Aramaic and Greek text of the Bible , but they ’ re written for people who don ’ t know those languages . Unlike other study Bibles , FSB was developed on the basis of the original languages of the Bible . Utilizing the technology and data behind Logos Bible Software , we were able to create a study Bible that works with multiple English translations . We call this translation independence . For example , the insights you ’ ll receive from FSB in the New International Version will be just as relevant for a study partner who uses the New King James Version .
Faithlife Study Bible unites scholarship and discipleship . The notes and articles draw from a wide range of academic research to illuminate the Bible , its world and its message . While this certainly is a scholastic effort , it is foremost an endeavor of faith . FSB stands in the Christian tradition summarized by the ancient Apostles ’ Creed and Nicene Creed . It is committed both to the authority of Scripture and to the challenge of wrestling with its full meaning .
Faithlife Study Bible invites you to be an interpreter . The study notes explain the biblical text while recognizing that God ’ s truth often reflects his mysterious ways and requires guidance from his Spirit . When tradition and scholarship presents diverging views on a passage , FSB explains the interpretive options , so you can reach your own conclusions . Rather than tell you what to think , the notes in FSB help you learn how to think about a text and work toward a deeper understanding .