Skip to content ↓

From Tyndale to Today: A New Study Bible

Sponsored Collection cover image

King James Study BibleIn a time when most people were ignorant of the Bible, William Tyndale resolved that if God would spare his life, even the boy plowing the fields would know the Scriptures better than the typical priest of his day. He also fervently promoted the teachings of the Reformation such as justification by faith in Christ alone. In 1536, the authorities condemned Tyndale as a heretic, strangled him, and burned his body, but not before he had launched the first English translation of the Bible from its original languages.

Seventy-five years later, a team of forty-seven highly trained biblical scholars released a careful revision of the English Bible, using eighty percent or more of Tyndale’s translation. The Holy Bible published in 1611 came to be known as the Authorized Version or King James Version (KJV). It became a powerful vehicle to spread the doctrines of the Reformation.

Today The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible carries on Tyndale’s vision to spread the knowledge of the Scripture to all people. It combines the text of the KJV with thousands of concise notes, introductions to every book of the Bible, fifty articles on major teachings of the Christian faith, and an overview of church history by Sinclair Ferguson.

Why publish a Study Bible on the KJV? Millions of English-speakers read the KJV with profit and delight. A recent survey indicated that of the Americans who regularly read their Bible, over half read the KJV. The Authorized Version continues to be treasured by many in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking nations around the world as well. In an age of dumbing-down, this version of that Bible that profoundly shaped our language and literature continues to lift up the minds of those who read it.

The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible is also a valuable resource for people who regularly read another translation. It offers practical help with personal and family worship. Many people have experienced the frustration of reading a chapter in the Scripture and having no idea how to apply it to their lives. With every chapter in this Study Bible come brief devotional thoughts to shape your mind and direct your life. Thirty-six articles in the appendices address questions of Christian living, ranging from how to kill our pride to finding contentment. Pastor and theologian Mark Jones said, “The KJV is not my primary Bible. But my family and I will be keeping this new KJV Study Bible close by…. A Study Bible for the heart and mind.”

This Study Bible also offers Reformation insights into biblical doctrine. The concise study notes reflect a deep commitment to the biblical truth taught by the Reformers and Puritans. Many of the doctrinal articles scattered throughout the Bible were adapted from the writings of people like John Calvin, William Perkins, William Ames, John Owen, and Jonathan Edwards. The appendices include nine creeds, confessions, and catechisms affirmed by the ancient and Reformation churches. Douglas Kelly, professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, says, “I commend wholeheartedly The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible…. Indeed, I am so convinced of its usefulness that I intend to get copies for my five adult children!”

The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible combines the classic English Bible text with solid doctrine and warm, experiential application. Whether you read the KJV every day, grew up with it but now read another translation, or never really looked at it before, consider this new Study Bible from Reformation Heritage Books as a helpful resource for your spiritual life. (For a free sample, please go here.)

Joel R. Beeke, General Editor

Consider watching this short introduction to the new King James Study Bible:


  • The Phrase that Altered My Thinking Forever

    This week the blog is sponsored by P&R Publishing and is written by Ralph Cunnington. Years ago, I stumbled repeatedly on an ancient phrase that altered my thinking forever.  Distinct yet inseparable. The first time I encountered this phrase was while studying the Council of Chalcedon’s description of the two natures of Christ. Soon after,…

  • Always Look for the Light

    Always Look for the Light

    For many years there was a little potted plant on our kitchen window sill, though I’ve long since forgotten the variety. Year after year that plant would put out a shoot and from the shoot would emerge a single flower. And I observed that no matter how I turned the pot, the flower would respond.…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (March 18)

    A La Carte: God is good and does good—even in our pain / Dear bride and groom / Sin won’t comfort you / Worthy of the gospel / From self-sufficiency to trusting God’s people / The gods fight for our devotion / and more.

  • Confidence

    God Takes Us Into His Confidence

    Here is another Sunday devotional—a brief thought to orient your heart toward the Lord. God takes the initiative in establishing relationship by reaching out to helpless humanity. He reveals himself to the creatures he has made. But what does it mean for him to provide such revelation of himself? John Calvin began his Institutes by…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (March 16)

    A La Carte: I believe in the death of Julius Caesar and the resurrection of Jesus Christ / Reasons students and pastors shouldn’t use ChatGPT / A 1.3 gigpixel photo of a supernova / What two raw vegans taught me about sharing Jesus / If we realize we’re undeserving, suddenly the world comes alive /…

  • Ask Pastor John

    Ask Pastor John

    I admit it: I felt a little skeptical about Ask Pastor John. To be fair, I feel skeptical about most books that begin in one medium before making the leap to another. Books based on sermons, for example, can often be pretty disappointing—a powerful sermon at a conference can make a bland chapter in a…