For new Christians, understanding how to navigate the Bible and become familiar with core beliefs can be overwhelming.
Crossway, the Christian publishing organization known for the English Standard Version translation of the Bible, is trying to bridge the gap between new believers and biblical knowledge with its new ESV New Christian’s Bible.
Crossway describes the New Christian’s Bible edition as the “perfect Bible for new Christians.” The edition specifically aims to help believers early in their faith walk understand Scripture, the core beliefs of Christianity, and how to navigate the Bible.
“The Bible can be daunting to a new believer,” the edition’s description reads. “The ESV New Christian’s Bible is a unique, affordable edition created specifically to help young Christians begin to navigate God’s Word for the first time.”
This version begins with four articles that answer four fundamental questions: “What Is the Bible?” “How to Read the Bible,” “Where Do I Start?” and “Further Helps.”
Additionally, the New Christian’s Bible has introductions to each book, as well as “30+ sidebars explaining core Christian beliefs tied to key passages.”
The correlation between reading the Bible and one’s spiritual growth
The Barna Group’s “State of the Bible 2019: Trends in Engagement,” in partnership with the American Bible Association, showed that there is a direct correlation between one’s engagement with the Bible and one’s spiritual growth.
According to the survey, half of “monthly Bible users” agree that the more they engage with their Bible, the more willing they are to engage with their faith. Furthermore, three in five adults who read their Bible three to four times a year “experience a greater awareness of how much they need God.”
Another 51 percent of Bible reading adults said that they feel a connection with God, while 50 percent said that it puts a desire in their hearts to know God better.
The new ESV New Christian’s Bible aims to ensure that new believers reap these proven benefits of spending time in the Word of God, which according to the Barna study, will enrich their newfound faith.
“Our research shows that when people engage with the Word, their lives are bettered,” Roy Peterson, president of the American Bible Society, said in April, following the study’s release. “They find wisdom, hope and healing. In today’s sometimes turbulent times, the Bible can provide welcome answers.”
“For those who are growing in their relationship with the Bible, the church is best positioned to help curious people find answers to their questions,” Peterson said. “For others whose ties to the Bible may have loosened in recent days, the church can help them establish a lifelong practice of Bible engagement that will sustain them through life’s storms.”
You can learn more about Crossway’s ESV New Christian’s Bible and pick up a copy for the new believer in your life here.