Sunday, July 11, 2021

The Thompson Chain Reference Bible: A Review

Disclosure Statement: I received the Thompson Chain Reference Bible from Zondervan via the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid Program in exchange for my honest review. Neither Zondervan nor Bible Gateway influenced my opinion in any way. My review is totally my own and in my own words.

The Thompson Chain Reference Bible

I own several types of Bibles but I've never owned a chain reference Bible so I was interested in finding out what makes the Thompson Chain Reference Bible different from any of my other study Bibles. This Bible has a concordance in the back like most study Bibles have but it offers way more than that. This Bible is packed with resources to help make the most of your Bible study time.

The Thompson Chain Reference Bible Makes a Great Gift

The Thompson Chain Reference Bible makes a great gift.

If you are considering offering a Bible to someone as a gift, this one makes a great gift. There is a page in the front of the Bible where you can write a presentation message and a date. There is plenty of room for you to write your name and a special message for the gift recipient. This Bible is one that will most likely be kept and used for many, many years.

The Thompson Chain Reference Bible offers a complete system of Bible Study

The Thompson Chain Reference Bible offers a complete system of Bible study.

This particular Thompson Chain Reference Bible is written in the New America Standard translation, featuring the 1977 text in both the old and new testaments. You'll enjoy a complete numerical system of chain references, analyses of books, outline studies of characters, unique charts, pectoral maps, and archaeological discoveries as you can see from the photo above.

Who is Dr. Frank Charles Thompson?

Dr. Frank Charles Thompson was a young preacher in the late 1800s when he became disappointed with the reference Bibles being used by preachers. Dr. Thompson believed Bible study tools should be presented in a simple but scholarly way. He saw the need for a well-organized reference Bible that would be of practical use to the lay reader as well as to preachers. In 1890, Dr. Thompson began the work he would continue for the rest of his life. He completed a series of "thought suggestions" opposite key verses throughout the Bible. These are what became the "chain links" that comprise the heart of the Thompson system. Continue reading more about Dr. Thomspon here.

The Thompson Chain Reference Bible Table of Contents

Here is a peak at this Bible's table of contents. The first section tells you where to find specific helps. This table of contents looks much like one you will see in other Bibles, but there are a few extra helps such as analytic and synthetic systems of Bible study and practical advantages of using this particular study Bible.

Comprehensive Bible Study Helps

The Thompson Chain Reference Bible Comprehensive Bible Helps

The comprehensive helps section is packed with reference materials covering principles of Bible study, Bible character studies, and Bible harmonies and illustrated studies. Learn more about your favorite Bible characters such as John, Paul, Peter, and so many more.

Tips on How to Use the Chain Reference Feature

The Thompson Chain Reference Bible: A Review

If you look at the left margin on the first page of the book of Genesis above, you'll see key words with numbers beside them. For example, if you look at the word "Day," you see the number 920 just to the left of the word. To follow the chain references for the word "day," turn to the Index of Chain Topics and find the number 920.

The Thompson Chain Reference Index of Chain Topics

The Thompson Chain Reference Bible System

Once you find the number you are looking for in the Index of Chain Topics, you'll find other references for that key word. In the photo above, you'll see that for the word "day," number 920, the general references for the word "day" are listed as Genesis 1:5, Genesis 8:22, Psalm 74:16, and Jeremiah 33:20.

The Hebrew Calendar

Other than the Chain Reference System as pointed out in the above brief explanations, the Thompson Chain Reference Bible offers other helpful Bible study tools as well, such as the Hebrew Calendar as outlined in the above photo. In addition, you'll enjoy using this Bible's general index which is much like the one you are likely accustomed to using. You'll find the character studies section helpful and interesting. Further toward the back, you'll find a section about prominent characters of the Bible classified with the meanings of their names. There is a section for men and a section for women characters. There is a history of the apostles outline, Isaiah's portraits of Christ, and synoptic portraits of Christ.

Other sections include portraits of Christ, The Gospel of John as a Picture Gallery . . . and so much more. If you are looking for a good study Bible, this is one you will want to add to your Bible study library.

The following page shows us places of religious worship during Bible times.

Places of Religious Worship

The following page shows us an aerial view of the portion of the mound of ancient Sushan, the city of Queen Esther and King Ahasuerus.

The Thompson Chain Reference Bible Back Cover

The back cover gives us another brief overview of what the Thompson Chain Reference Bible offers. As the cover states at the top, this study Bible is an easy to learn, easy to use tool for in-depth Bible study. It will make a great addition to your Bible study library.