One of the best ways to commemorate the anniversary of the Reformation this year is to read the Reformation Study Bible. You can access it free on Bible Gateway. The Reformation Study Bible, which collects thousands of Bible study notes and insights from more than 50 distinguished Bible scholars, epitomizes the reformative movement’s insistence that Scripture should be easily accessible and readily shared.

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, What Was the Reformation and Why Does it Matter Today?]

It’s not every day that you can celebrate the 500th anniversary of anything (no, your grandparents are not that old). So, what better way to get into the spirit of the Reformation than to read the translation which was named after it?

All of the study notes from The Reformation Study Bible are available to read right alongside Scripture at Bible Gateway. The following is a step-by-step guide on how to do that:

1. Look up a Bible passage.

Look up any Bible passage on Bible Gateway that you want to read and study. For example, John 3.

2. Open the “Study This” panel.

To the right of the Scripture text, look for the Study This panel. It looks like this when open:

If it’s not open (and you don’t see that list of Study Bibles, Commentaries, etc.), just click or tap the blue Study This button to open it:

You’ll see a lot of resources listed in that panel. Many of them are part of our Bible Gateway Plus membership service, and they require that you have a Bible Gateway Plus subscription to use. However, The Reformation Study Bible is free and can be used by anyone.

3. Locate The Reformation Study Bible in the Study Bibles section.

In the Study Bible section, you’ll see a list of all the study Bibles available on Bible Gateway. Scroll down until you see the translation you’re looking for (it’s probably the last one):

The number in the red box next to the title is the number of Bible notes available for the Bible passage you’re currently reading. So, for John 3, the The Reformation Study Bible has 22 study notes available. To open it, simply click or tap on its name.

4. Enjoy reading The Reformation Study Bible notes alongside Bible text.

Once selected, the panel displays the individual study notes available for the Bible passage you’re reading (in our example, John 3). Each note is listed by the verse(s) it corresponds to. For example, a listing of John 3:2 means that there is a study note available that talks about John 3:2.

To see The Reformation Study Bible note for a particular verse, click or tap the verse reference in the Study This panel. Doing so displays the study note for you to read. The study notes with vary in length, depending on the verse. This is what it looks like to have The Reformation Study Bible study notes open alongside John 3:2 (click to enlarge):

The words and phrases in bold are the specific parts of the verse that are being discussed. You can use the back-arrow above and to the left of the note to go back to the full list of study notes. The two left and right arrows below the study note will navigate to the previous and next study notes, respectively.

It’s that easy! With just a few extra clicks, you can add an incredible study resource to your Bible reading. The Reformation Study Bible is usable alongside any Bible translation on Bible Gateway. The next time you find yourself stumped by a Bible passage or confused about what it means, open The Reformation Study Bible and let it shed some light onto what you’re reading.

The Reformation Study Bible is made freely available on Bible Gateway by Ligonier Ministries. For more information, see our interview with its editor R.C. Sproul. While The Reformation Study Bible is available free online at Bible Gateway, you can also buy a print copy in the Bible Gateway Store.

Get to know your Bible better by becoming a member of Bible Gateway Plus.