Comments on The Complete Biblical Library Old and New Testament?

Pater Noster

I noticed the The Complete Biblical Library Old and New Testament is now on preorder. While the price is quite hefty, I was wondering what people think of this set, as it was apparently an Accordance resource. Does it offer anything that one would not have who already had good commentaries, dictionaries, and apparatus?

Also, I am very concerned that quite a few of the resources have an asterisk, meaning "Your purchase includes this resource, which isn’t available yet. The resource will automatically download once it’s available." Is this going to be like some notable Logos resources that have been years late, like the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary? Or do these resources already exist in Accordance so they will be published soon?

Thanks!

DAL

You can mirror the CBL set up using a custom guide in Logos.  You can add better resources since CBL is pretty much a Study Bible and not a full fledged commentary.

Wordsearch had it for $299 and Accordance offers it in one of their packages, though their CBL version doesn’t come with the interlinear nor the Gospel Harmony since the software already has those resources/capabilities.

Maybe if the prepub price had been $300 for the entire thing I would’ve preordered it, but having it in Accordance is good enough for me, since like I said, it’s just a study Bible.

DAL

Here’s a sample of Matthew 5:1-12

Chapter 5

1. And seeing the multitudes: . . . When he saw the crowds, —MNTG.

he went up into a mountain: . . . he ascended a hill, —MRDK.

and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

5:1. The “mountainside” (NIV) was apparently near Capernaum. Matthew says the sermon was given on a mountainside, but Luke says it was a plain (Luke 6:17). The sermon, in essence, might have been spoken on two different occasions. Tradition points to two different sites: one a hill rising from the shore of the Sea of Galilee about 3 miles south of Capernaum; the other, the Horns of Hattin, a small hill with twin peaks about 10 miles southwest of Capernaum on the road to Nazareth.

The word “disciples” (mathētai) appears for the first time here: “His disciples came unto him.” It connotes an established relationship with the Master. In the teaching that follows (5:3–7:27), Jesus primarily addressed His disciples. They were avid “learners”; He was the Master, literally, the “Teacher.” No other students ever enjoyed better instruction.

2. And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying: . . . he began teaching them, —RTHM . . . He proceeded to teach them, and said, —WEYM.

5:2. The Sermon on the Mount holds the same significance for the new covenant as the giving of the Law held for the old covenant. It outlines the basic principles of life in the kingdom of heaven (see commentary on verses 17 and 18). In one sense it might be considered the “constitution” for the Kingdom.

3. Blessed are the poor in spirit: . . . Spiritually prosperous, —WUST . . . How blest, —NEB . . . Happy the destitute in spirit, —RTHM . . . they who sense spiritual poverty, —BRKL . . . the humble minded, —PHLP . . . gentle in spirit, —FNTN . . . spiritually poor, —TEV . . . they who feel their spiritual wants, —NRTN . . . who know they are needy, —ALBA . . . broken in spirit, —SEB . . . they of humble spirit, —TORY.

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven: . . . the kingdom of the heavens, —RTHM . . . the Realm of heaven is theirs, —MOFT.

5:3. “Blessed” (makarioi) is the opposite of the pronouncement of “woe” (ouai; cf. Luke 6:20–26), and it means “fortunate is, happy is.” Ptōchoi means “the poor,” those so impoverished that they have to beg to survive. And yet poverty here is not so much material as it is spiritual (as “in spirit” implies). To be spiritually poor is to be humble. Verses 3 and 10 point to the same reward of the “blessed”: they will share in the kingdom of heaven, i.e., the kingly rule of Messiah.

4. Blessed are they that mourn: . . . Happy . . . sad, —BB . . . sorrow, —LTMR . . . suffer grief, —ALBA.

for they shall be comforted: . . . they will be consoled, —MOFT.

5:4. Those who mourn acknowledge their sins and spiritual poverty (cf. 2 Corinthians 7:10; James 4:9). The Greek term here rendered “mourn” (penthountes) conveys the idea of extreme sadness; for example, it is used concerning the loss (death) of a close friend or relative. Those who mourn because they have spiritual needs can expect God to comfort them.

5. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth: . . . gentle, —TCNT . . . those who claim nothing, —PHLP . . . kind-hearted, —FNTN . . . Humble people, —SEB . . . will possess, —WLSN . . . for the earth will be their heritage, —BB . . . receive what God has promised! —TEV.

5:5. Verse 5 quotes Psalm 37:11. Praeis means “meek” or “humble, modest” (in contrast to quick-tempered, arrogant, or proud). The meek person surrenders everything to the Lord and His control. He bears injustice patiently and without bitterness (cf. Titus 3:1–7).

6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: . . . being and doing right, —WLMS . . . greatest desire is to do what God requires, —TEV.

for they shall be filled: . . . completely satisfied, —WEYM . . . shall be satiated! —MRDK.

5:6. Hunger and thirst express deep longing. Righteousness is the divine order, divine law. It is the distinguishing characteristic of the Messianic Age (Isaiah 11:1–5).

7. Blessed are the merciful: . . . the compassionate, —WEYM . . . they who have pity, —LTMR.

for they shall obtain mercy: . . . receive compassion, —WEYM.

5:7. The Greek term for mercy, eleos, means “compassion, pity, sympathy” or “loving consideration and help.” This does not mean external pity, but total identification with the other person’s situation. The mercy that “they shall obtain” comes from God both for today (cf. Luke 1:77, 78; 1 Peter 1:3) and for the Day of Judgment (cf. James 2:13; cf. Psalm 41:2).

8. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God: . . . that ben of clene herte, —WCLF.

5:8. “Pure in heart” does not mean (in conjunction with verse 6) those “without sin,” but those who are “upright, just, righteous” (Psalm 24:4). The pure in heart do not attempt to serve the world and God at the same time. They have secured their hearts in God, the only true One (Psalm 86:11). Biblically speaking, the “heart” is the site of humanity’s innermost being, the center of personality (cf. Proverbs 4:23). “They shall see God” implies face-to-face contact with the living God (1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 22:4).

9. Blessed are the peacemakers: . . . peace doers, —KLGS . . . maynteyners of peace, —TNDL.

for they shall be called the children of God: . . . acknowledged as, —WEYM . . . ranked, —MOFT.

5:9. A distinguishing feature of a child of God is his or her role as “peacemaker” in the world. It suggests active efforts to bring about peace and salvation.

The phrase “they shall be called” here means “to receive the name or nature of.” The disciples are already children of God, i.e., they have that status.

10. Blessed are they which are persecuted:

for righteousness’ sake: . . . for being and doing right, —WLMS.

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven: . . . for to them belongs, —WEYM.

5:10. Dediōgmenoi means “those who are persecuted, driven out, chased away.” With these words (verses 10–12) Jesus began to instruct His disciples about the persecution that believers will experience because of their desire for righteousness (cf. 1 Peter 3:14).

11. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you: . . . taunt you, —TCNT . . . denounce you, —MOFT . . . abuse you, —TCNT.

and persecute you: . . . are cruel to you, —BB.

and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely: . . . and have said every cruel thing, —WEYM . . . and keep on telling lies about you, —NORL . . . slander you, —ALBA.

for my sake: . . . on My account, —AMPB.

5:11. It may not seem to be happiness or fullness of blessing when unbelievers take believers’ changed lives as a rebuke to their sinful life-style and react against them. When unbelievers reproach Christians, heaping insults upon them and treating them as something disgraceful, the natural tendency for Christians is to defend themselves. But the life-style that follows the first seven beatitudes will cause believers to recognize that unbelievers are lying and that their words against believers and the way they persecute and pressure them is all on account of Jesus. He is the One they are really rejecting. He is the One they hate. Thus, Christians have the blessed privilege of sharing in His sufferings. (See 1 Peter 4:12–14.)

12. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: . . . Rejoice and exult, —RTHM . . . Be joyful and triumphant, —WEYM . . . Keep on rejoicing and leaping for ecstacy, —WLMS.

for great is your reward in heaven: . . . seeing that vast are your wages, —CNDT . . . your reward is rich, —BRKL . . . your recompence, —TCNT . . . is magnificent, —PHLP.

for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you:

5:12. Jesus encouraged believers to rejoice, not despite the persecution, but because of it. The Greek is very strong. Christians are even to be delighted when people treat them unkindly for Christ’s sake. That is the way people treated the true prophets of God. Those who are under the rule of God show it by “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17).

The great reward is not payment for good works; rather, it is compensation for the suffering. “In heaven” must not be limited to some future time but refers to the origin of the reward, which, in a first installment at least, is available even in the present time (compare 6:20).