The NKJV, Open Bible, Brown Leathersoft, Red Letter, Comfort Print (Thumb Indexed): Complete Reference System Imitation Leather – April 9, 2019

General Impressions: The Topical Index (called Biblical Cyclopedic Index in prior printings) is amazing, as are the extensive cross-references and various "helps." The Open Bible will be appropriate and helpful for both new and long-time believers. This is my new go-to Bible for gift giving. While this is more of an outstanding(!) reference Bible than a study Bible, it does contain some very good, helpful info and articles. It does NOT contain commentary at the bottom of pages as in a dedicated study Bible.I also love that I've found no "editorial bias" in either the book introductions or the "help" features. For example, a portion of the intro for Revelation briefly explains the four main End Time views held by various Christians, but does not push one view over another. That list is immediately followed by a paragraph that begins, "Advocates of all four interpretive approaches to Revelation agree that it was written to assure the recipients of the ultimate triumph of Christ over all who rise up against Him and His saints ...." While some may prefer a Bible that states only that person's view, I like the presentation of all, followed by how all Christians can come together in agreement on the ultimate message (Christ is coming back, "Jesus gonna win!," etc.). Also, new believers may not even know there are differing views and may get confused if talking to a believer with a different viewpoint. As long as the basic tenets of Christianity are not compromised, we should not argue and be divided; the Open Bible handles this well and is used and loved by people of many denominations and non-denominations alike, all equally pleased with its content.The Cover: I purchased the Genuine Leather edition. There is some texture to it; it is not "cushy." I found it flexible, but not floppy, and note that if the cover is bent, it will re-conform. There is stitching around the edges. The inside liner pages are glued and appear to be synthetic, but they are nice and sufficiently thick. Words, logo and lines on the outer spine are stamped, not raised. If money is an issue, you may want to get a hardcover or imitation leather. Both have sewn bindings, not glued. I've not had long-term experience with Thomas Nelson's imitation leather, but my hardcover Nelson Study Bible with a sewn binding has held up very well for over 10 years (although I do keep it in a Bible cover, which may contribute to its longevity). If the publisher comes out with a "Premier" leather edition (I don't know if that is planned), it will contain more aesthetic and higher quality bells and whistles (and, accordingly, a higher price tag). I will add that I personally would not pay the MSRP on the Genuine Leather version that I purchased, but there's no need to (per Amazon's price at the time of this writing, a significant amount less was paid). Anyway, I highly recommend the Open Bible, regardless of what binding it's in.Printed Words: The 9 pt font seems very close in size to the 8 pt font in my Study Bible, but I admit that the Comfort Print typeface and the printing quality are easy on the eyes, so it's a bit easier for me to read than the 8 pt. That said, if you struggle with 8 pt font, you may want to wait until a Large Print version comes out, particularly because the center column cross-references are quite small. (I do not know if a Large Print version is planned by the publisher, but I hope so.) The print of both black and red words is "rich" and consistent throughout. There is no fading like I've seen in other Bibles (reds can be particularly problematic, but not in this Bible). Almost all of the pages are line matched (or very close to it), so ghosting is minimized; and I've not found lighting glare on the pages to be an issue while reading.Layout: Each book begins with an introduction that consists of: The Book of [X] (a general description); The Author of [X]; The Time of [X]; The Christ of [X]; Keys to [X]; and Survey of [X]. That portion is usually 3-4 pages of info, immediately followed by a detailed chapter-and-verse outline of the book, then the book itself. As mentioned, there are center column cross-references in quite small print, but finding a particular verse's x-references are eased by the use of red to list the chapter and verse you're reading, followed by the x-references in black. Three quality ribbon markers are included. I usually cut ribbon markers off, but many people like a ribbon marker and wish there were more than one; you've got that here.Cons: The only con I want to mention is that, unlike prior printings of the Open Bible, page numbers are not included with Scripture references (Topical Index, in particular). Most readers will find the listed Scripture verses to be sufficient, but it would be very helpful for anyone new to the Bible to have page numbers listed, as well. I plan to combat that a bit by including a "Books of the Bible" bookmark to new believers to more readily help them find a particular Scripture. I would deduct half a star for this from the 5-star review, but that is not an option, so I will stand by five stars rather than going to four.Helps (Table of Contents): Welcome to the Open Bible; Contributors; Preface to the New King James Version; Special Abbreviations; How to Study the Bible; The Christian's Guide to the New Life; Topical Index to the Bible [around 250 pages!]; Read Your Bible Through in a Year; [list of OT books]; Visual Survey of the Bible; [list of NT books]; Harmony of the Gospels; The Jewish Calendar; Jewish Feasts; Monies, Weights, and Measures; Teachings and Illustrations of Christ; Prophecies of the Messiah Fulfilled in Christ; The Parables of Jesus Christ; The Miracles of Jesus Christ; The Laws of the Bible; Between the Testaments; The Apocrypha [this is a Protestant Bible; this section contains an explanation of why The Apocrypha is not included and has some descriptive info]; The Scarlet Thread of Redemption; A Guide to Christian Workers; Prayers of the Bible; Concordance; and, of course, some colorful maps at the end.Hope this helps in your decision. God bless. <3

Great bible. Lots of extra info.

Build seems to be well done. The guilding was flawless. The additional information is helpful and well thought out. NKJV is not my favorite translation. I always prefer the KJV but not everyone does. SO this is an alternative to use with a study group.. but always have a KJV handy to compare. All translations other than the KJV use the fake sinaiticus texts. If you think that is wrong then research Simonides vs Tischendorf. As far as alternative Bibles to use I go no further than NKJV. It is close to the 1611 and doesn't stray far from it.The print is nice and clear and easy to read. The leathersoft is quite nice as well.

I recently purchased the newest edition of Thomas Nelson’s New King James Version (NKJV) Open Bible. I am very pleased with it; in fact, I consider it one of the finest Bibles I have purchased in the past few years.When I first opened the box, The first thing I noticed was the perimeter stitching, and the simple, uncluttered and elegant design of the spine. The cover is made of brown Leathersoft. I am very pleasantly surprised at how soft and supple it is, and how much it actually feels like real leather. This Bible has a paste-down liner, but the binding is Smyth sewn and lays flat from Genesis to Revelation.The Open Bible uses a good quality, thick paper (I estimate 36 gsm). There is some ghosting that's evident, but it’s not too severe. The Bible uses line-matching, which significantly reduces the effects of ghosting. The 2K/Denmark NKJV Comfort Print font is dark, clear, and very readable despite being only 9-point. This is a red-letter edition. I especially like the dark, rich shade of red used, not only for the words of Christ, but also for page and chapter headings, and reference pilot numbers. The red-letter text is as clear and easy to read as the black text.Although perhaps more of a reference Bible than a study Bible. The Open Bible includes many excellent articles which make it ideal for deeper study. Among them are:* "How to Study the Bible."* "The Christian's Guide to the New Life."* "The Scarlet Thread of Redemption,”Other key features include:* The Topical Index, running to nearly 300 pages and containing topics for study. This is undoubtedly the most important supplemental feature of The Open Bible.* A one- and two-year reading plan.* Introductory articles and detailed outlines at the beginning of each book of the Bible.* A 24-page "Visual Survey of the Bible," which is a wonderful graphic overview of the entire Bible.Toward the back of the Bible are more features, including a Harmony of the Gospels, the Teachings and Illustrations of Christ, and the biggest (195 pages), most comprehensive Concordance of any Bible I have ever used. There are also eight full-color maps, all very well drawn and printed on a heavy card stock.My verdict: another excellent Bible from Thomas Nelson. Most highly recommended.