Review: NIV Chronological Study Bible

I've wanted this Bible for a while. A few years ago, I got a book counterpart to this Bible that had all the study notes without the Bible itself. I never read the entire thing, but I've been meaning to get back into it. It's wonderful to have a Bible that makes it easy to read things in chronological order and to find out more about the history behind what happens. I love the way this version integrates the Psalms with relevant passages and possible coinciding incidents. I wish there could be more historical notes, but the pieces provided are useful.

My only complaints are that the very nature of this Bible 1) makes it difficult to look up passages (although there's a guide in the back to lead you to the right pages for the right passages), and 2) leads to notes on history, geography, archeology and culture that lend themselves to the interpretation that parts of the Bible are no longer relevant (i.e. female pastors, etc). There's also a lack of commentary on more controversial issues like the gifts of the Spirit.

The layout is colorful and well thought-out. I enjoyed the photos, maps, etc, and the clear section dividers, called Epochs. I look forward to digging into this Bible more.

*Disclaimer: I received this Bible in exchange for my honest review of it.