Now with your Bible Gateway Plus membership, you’re able to study Scripture with the vivid insight of Dr. Tony Evans, founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder and president of The Urban Alternative, former chaplain of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, and author of over 100 books, booklets, and Bible studies.

The Tony Evans Study Bible (Holman Bible Publishers, 2019) features

• study notes
• book introductions
• videos summarizing each of the 66 books of the Bible
• “Kingdom Living” lessons
• application questions-and-answers on key passages
• words of hope
• inspirational articles
• life applications

and other tools designed for digging deeper into God’s Word. These notes and resources are from Dr. Evans’ sermons, teachings, and writings. They’re strategically placed alongside the biblical text you’re reading with your Bible Gateway Plus membership to explain God’s Word in a fresh way to help you live according to the values of God’s kingdom.

Commentary Notes Example

In his commentary notes for Matthew 1:1-5, Dr. Evans writes:

Jesus had a legitimate legal claim to be the Messiah. He was the Son of David, heir to the throne (see 2 Sam 7:12-16; Isa 11:1-10). The women mentioned in Jesus’s line were particularly questionable. Tamar (1:3) was a Canaanite who posed as a prostitute. Rahab (1:5) was a prostitute. Ruth (1:5) was from Moab, a non-Israelite nation that worshiped idols.

Moreover, the women were of Hamitic descent. Their mention here is a reminder that Jesus’s background is mixed racially, including both Jews and Gentiles and indicating that Jesus’s kingdom identity and rule extends to all people. It blesses me to know that Jesus had black in his blood because this destroys any perception of black inferiority. In Christ we find perfect man and sinless Savior. This knowledge frees blacks from an inferiority complex, and at the same time it frees whites from the superiority myth. In Christ, we all have our heritage. Black people and all others can find historical, cultural, and racial identity in him.

Eloquent Style

Dr. Evans’ eloquent and poetic preaching style with cadence is evident in his study notes. For example, for Matthew 3:6-8 he writes:

By confessing their sins and being baptized, the people were making a public declaration that they had changed their minds and agreed with what God said about their sins. Why did John accept other people but not this group? Because, although they were okay with listening to his message, they wanted their lives left alone. Like some people today, they didn’t mind attending a church service as long as it didn’t affect how they were running their own affairs. They wanted information, but not transformation. Genuine repentance is confirmed by actions.

When I travel, I tell the airline agent, “I’m Tony Evans, and I have a reservation.” The agent then asks, “Can I see your proof of identification?” They don’t want mere communication that I am who I claim to be; they want authentication. Therefore, they want to see something that verifies what I affirm. Similarly, shouting, “Hallelujah! Amen! Praise the Lord!” is fine but insufficient. Repentance shows up in your hands and feet, not just in your lips. Without the fruit, the visible proof of true heart repentance, judgment is coming (3:10).

Kingdom Emphasis

Dr. Evans says this study Bible’s notes are “based on a simple yet profound biblical worldview: the glory of God through the advancement of his kingdom. This is the unifying theme of Scripture, from Genesis through Revelation. The concept of God’s kingdom is what ties all of the Bible together. When this central point of connectivity is lost to the reader, it is easy for Scripture to seem like a series of disconnected stories, events, personalities, and doctrines that do not strategically and thematically connect to one another.”

The reference notes of The Tony Evans Study Bible help Bible Gateway Plus members see Scripture’s big picture of God’s kingdom.

While published with the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) translation of the Bible, The Tony Evans Study Bible reference content can be read next to any Bible translation on Bible Gateway.

[Read Bible Gateway Blog posts by and about Tony Evans]

The first African American to earn a doctorate of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, Dr. Evans is named one of the 12 Most Effective Preachers in the English Speaking World by Baylor University. Dr. Evans holds the honor of writing and publishing the first full-Bible commentary and study Bible by an African American. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on more than 1,400 US outlets daily and in more than 130 countries.

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