Written by Part of our role in ministry is helping students understand and interact with God’s Word. However, it seems that this is a struggle for our students, and I would assert for most Christians, and we don’t often see results. But as I have contemplated why this is, I have come away with two thoughts:
- Students needs to be taught and discipled in how to read and understand the Bible, and
- Students need Bibles that they can read and understand.
During a series on how to study the Bible, I actually ended up giving away over thirty Bibles to our students. Many of these students had Bibles that were gifted to them or passed down from another family member, but they all stated that they were too difficult to read. So I resolved to offer them multiple versions and translations in an effort to help them study and be in the Word more often.
Today I am sharing some of our top picks of Bibles for students in hopes that it will allow you to better equip, challenge, and disciple your students.
NLT Study Bible
This is an easy to understand Bible that uses common English language, and I have found many students enjoy how readable it is. It offers a lot of resources and helpful tools for students throughout the text, and is a less cumbersome Bible to carry around. You can find this in many variations (student’s, men’s, women’s, etc.), but I personally like the regular pocket size style or the Teen Life Application Study Bible for students. The compact size is an easy addition to a backpack and the Teen Life Application Study Bible is not very large or heavy and has applicable material for students.
CSB Apologetics Study Bible for Students
This has quickly become a favorite resource of mine and I have multiple copies of this Bible in my office. I have many students who are asking the hard questions and wondering what the Bible has to say about it. This Bible offers a vast amount of conversational pieces designed to help students understand how the Bible is integrated with real world issues, and how they should cultivate a Biblical response. This is on top of the already detailed notes and insights that come with a standard study Bible, and it is in the easy to read and understand CSB version.
This is a solid study Bible, and frankly I like it better than the larger ESV Study Bible most adults prefer. It doesn’t skimp or trim on the material, but rather puts it in easier to understand verbiage that is geared toward students and practical life application. This version also comes in a variety of colors and in hardcover and paperback which allows for preference and versatility.
This has become one of my favorite Bibles to date, and my students love it! I have also handed this out to adults and my senior pastor who have found it be incredibly helpful in understanding more about Jesus and how we engage with Scripture. What makes this Bible stand out is that the over 600 Old Testament passages that point Jesus are in blue text with additional helpful information about said text. It helps students who are reading the Old Testament to understand how Jesus played a role during that time, and how that then applies to their lives. It helps them to see the validity and necessity of all Scripture.
This is a personal favorite and one that I have seen more and more students gravitating toward. The CSB Study Bible is designed to help you grow in your relationship with God by using readable and reliable text. The editors of the CSB have sought to remain as literal as possible to the original text and meaning, while also making it easier to engage with Scripture by making it readable. This version is becoming more and utilized throughout churches and students love the easy to read and understand translation. They also have a student version of this study Bible, and I am always trying to get these into the hands of my students.
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