The ESV Creeds and Confessions Bible in Black TruTone
I’ve had the privilege of reviewing multiple editions of Crossway’s Creeds and Confessions Bible. I’ve reviewed it in black Goatskin as well as the Westminster Books exclusive hardcover. Today, I get to review it in black TruTone. When I initially saw people posting pictures of this Bible, I was blown away by what I saw. I didn’t believe it could be a TruTone. It looked like leather. There were spine ribs on the back. I remembered this old, pocket-sized TruTone I had a long time ago and it got beat up fairly quickly. I had other TruTones in the past and none of them looked like this. I knew I had to check it out.
Packaging
This Bible comes in a very attractive slip case that looks very similar to the box the goatskin comes in. There are red and gold colors instead of just the standard black with silver or gold. I think packaging and presentation is important and this slip case will catch your attention.. In fact, it’s what first noticed when I initially saw it showing up online.
The Outside
I promise I’m not over-selling this, but this is the best TruTone I’ve ever handled. It will amaze you. It honestly reminds me of a calfskin. It’s smooth, sleek, and attractive. It has five raised ribs, which impresses me with a TruTone. I loved ribbed spines because I think it makes the Bible have a more premium look. Ribbed spines don’t come on your average Bible, so this really makes this TruTone stand out. It comes with two black ribbon bookmarks and has gold art gilt on the page edges.
The Inside
The inner cover has a black, paper paste down liner. I would’ve loved to have seen Crossway put a gold design on the paper liner, but that’s me being picky. The black is simple, but I never mind seeing some artwork from Peter Voth somewhere in a Crossway Bible.
The text block is Smyth sewn. Inside, you’ll find presentation and family history pages, a preface, and a description of the features found in this Bible. This Bible includes historic creeds and confessions, which is what makes it so attractive to many. I will speak more to those a little later.
I’m not sure about the paper thickness in this Bible, but it is a bright white and there is minimal ghosting. The text is line matched and set in a double column format. Many are saying that this seems to be almost identical to the 80th Omega layout, which when comparing the two seems to be the case. The references are set at the bottom right of the page, which shortens the length of the second column of text. The text itself is a 10-point Lexicon type. It’s black letter and the printing is a nice, bold, and consistent black throughout. This is a very attractive and easy to read layout. There is a reason the Omega layout is one of Crossway’s most popular. I’ll also throw in that this is the exact same paper and text block you’ll find in the goatskin edition. In the back of the Bible you’ll find a concordance and eight color maps.
Creeds and Confessions
You’ll also find 13 historic creeds and confessions. This is the reason many people are interested in this Bible. You may be asking, “Why would I want this in a Bible? Why should I care about these creeds and confessions?” Essentially, these historic confessions help us see the truth of the Word thoughtfully and carefully summarized. They teach the truth of Scripture succinctly and in one place. Catechisms help us learn solid answers to questions about God and the Bible. These creeds and confessions are valuable pieces of Christian history that can still aid and help us today. If you haven’t ever explored them before, they are certainly worth your time to check out. Having them in one convenient location behind the Word of God makes this Bible very attractive for many. These are the 13 creeds and confessions included:
Apostle's Creed (ca. 200 - 400)
Nicene Creed (325)
Athanasian Creed (381)
Chalcedonian Definition (451)
Augsburg Confession (1530)
Belgic Confession (1561)
Articles of Religion (1563)
Canons of Dort (1618 - 19)
Westminster Confession (1646)
London Baptist Confession (1689)
Heidelberg Catechism (1563)
Westminster Larger Catechism (1647)
Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647)
Conclusion
Out of the three Creeds and Confessions Bibles I’ve reviewed, this one impresses me the most. I think that’s mostly because it is the nicest TruTone I’ve seen. It also isn’t too pricey so I find myself reaching for it often because I’m not afraid of putting some wear and tear on it and I know it still looks awesome. Don’t get me wrong, nothing is quite like a goatskin Bible and if you have the money, I’d go for that one. That being said, if you don’t, this Bible is an awesome option.
You can pick up your copy of The Creeds and Confessions Bible in TruTone at Amazon (affiliate).
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this Bible from Crossway in exchange for a fair and honest review.
