Christianity Today Intl - NIV Quest Study Bible

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION

NIV Quest Study Bible

The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.

Used by Permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Quest Study Bible

Published by Zondervan

Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530, USA

Copyright 1994, 2003, 2011 by Zondervan

www.zondervan.com

New International Version and NIV are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc.

Used by permission.

The NIV Concordance copyright 1982, 1984 by Zondervan; Maps by International Mapping. Copyright 2009 by Zondervan. All rights reserved.

eISBN: 9780310441052

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2011929355

Reading Plans and Overview of the Bible adapted from the NIV Student Bible, Revised, notes by Philip Yancey and Tim Stafford with Christianity Today International. Copyright 2011 by Zondervan. Used by permission of Zondervan.

Color Time Line copyright 1995 by Zondervan. Interior Maps copyright 2011 by International Mapping. All rights reserved. Interior Time Lines copyright 2011 by Zondervan. Interior Charts copyright 2011 by Zondervan.

The NIV text may be quoted in any form (written, visual, electronic or audio), up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without the express written permission of the publisher, providing the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible nor do the verses quoted account for twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total text of the work in which they are quoted.

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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version NIV

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.

Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

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Table of Contents

The books of the New Testament are indicated by italics.

Welcome to the Quest Study Bible

If youve ever read the Bible and found yourself asking the tough questions

Why did that happen?

What does this verse mean?

How does this story impact my life today?

then the Quest Study Bible is perfect for you.

Thanks to the combined efforts of the editors at Christianity Today International and scores of contributors, the articles and study notes in this Bible answer your most commonly asked questions.

The original Quest Study Bible was conceived in 1989 when representatives from two publishing companies, Zondervan and Christianity Today International, began discussing the possibilities of again working together on a landmark Bible (they had previously collaborated on The Student Bible). As editors and researchers explored options, they agreed that Bible readers were routinely seeking answers to challenging questions that arose as they read the Bible. Focus groups around the United States evaluated the usefulness of potential study Bible features and helped select the features what would be included in this Bible. Then, more than 1,000 people received passages of Scripture and were asked, What questions do you have about this portion of the Bible? Their responses helped determine what kinds of questions the notes would answer.

Readers found the original Quest Study Bible so helpful that the editors at Christianity Today and Zondervan decided to work together once more to update its content. An updated edition of the Bible, which included hundreds of new notes and articles, was released in 2003. Once again, the editors at Christianity Today and Zondervan have collaborated to bring you a newly updated Quest Study Bible and they believe this is the best one yet. In addition to many new notes and articles, each existing note and article has received a complete editorial review to ensure that all questions and answers contain the most concise and accurate information. The new Quest also includes articles that answer the top 100 questions people ask while reading the Bible. These questions were developed based on research information provided by readers like you.

What Makes This Bible Distinctive?

The Quest Study Bible is like a press conference. Theres a prepared statementthe text of the Bible. In this case, its the highly respected New International Version, the bestselling modern English translation. For more details on the NIV translation, see .

After the text is presented, readerslike reporters at a press conferenceaddress their most pressing questions to the spokesperson. In this Bible edition, the answers come from respected Bible scholars, pastors and writers who provide interesting answers in an engaging style.

Here are some of the specific features youll find in this Bible:

BOOK INTRODUCTIONS

At the beginning of each Bible book, youll find direct answers to specific questions about the book: Who wrote it? Why? What should I look for as I read it? Youll also begin to gain an understanding of some of the themes covered in each Bible book.

TIME LINES AND MAPS

The time lines included in the book introductions and the maps strategically located throughout the Bible will help you locate when and where the action being described took place.