ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible: Notes

by Bryan Chapell

Publisher:

Crossway

, 2013

Overview

The apostle Paul summed up his whole ministry as existing “to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). That single-minded goal is the heartbeat of the ESV Gospel Transformation Bible. Produced out of the conviction that the Bible is a unified message of God’s grace culminating in Jesus, it is a significant new tool to help readers see Christ in all of Scripture, and grace for all of life

The Gospel Transformation Bible features all-new book introductions and gospel-illuminating notes written by a team of over 50 outstanding pastors and scholars. This specially prepared material outlines passage-by-passage God’s redemptive purposes of grace that echo all through Scripture and culminate in Christ. The notes not only explain but also apply the text in a grace-centered way. Focusing on heart transformation rather than mere behavior modification, their points of application emphasize the “hows” and “whys” of practical application to daily living—in short, how the gospel transforms us from the inside out.

The Gospel Transformation Bible will equip both new and seasoned believers with a gospel-centered reading of Scripture, enabling God’s people to see that the message of the Bible is a unified one—“to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

Key Features

• Presents a Bible focused on heart transformation and personal spiritual growth
• Includes insights from over 50 pastors and scholars
• Offers God-centered application within the notes

Contents

Top Highlights

“The gospel is not opposed to effort but to earning.” (Page 1700)

“The Sermon is not an instruction manual for winning God’s favor. Rather, it describes how God wants those to live who have already been transformed by his grace because they have understood their weakness and need for his mercy. The ‘poor in spirit’ (v. 3) are those who know that they, as sinners, do not have the spiritual resources necessary to carry out God’s demands. ‘Those who mourn’ and who ‘hunger and thirst for righteousness’ (vv. 4, 6) have experienced the disaster that disobedience to God has brought to the world. Because they understand their true position of weakness before God, the ‘meek’ (v. 5) have a humility that translates into treating others with kindness. The ‘merciful’ are those who understand their own need for God’s mercy (v. 7).” (Page 1275)

“The vine was a good gift from God—bringing joy, comfort, and blessing. But then God sent the worm—bringing sorrow, disappointment, and loss. On top of that, God sent the wind, which brought pain, affliction, and distress. It’s easy to see how God can use the vine, but how does God use the worm and the wind? God used the worm and the wind to save Jonah from a ‘vine-centered’ life. A vine-centered person is one who is so taken up with the joy of God’s good gifts that he or she ends up loving the gifts more than the Giver. The Bible calls this idolatry.” (Page 1198)

“In Christ we have everything we need to live a life that honors God.” (Page 1699)

“Paul touches on something very profound for fallen humans when he speaks of ‘seeking the approval of man’ (1:10). This need for approval is deeply wired into us. Yet the gospel has the power to calm the quest for human approval, for in the gospel we are freely given the full and free approval of God in Jesus. We are accepted and approved.” (Pages 1573–1574)

Product Details

• Title: ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible: Notes
• Author: Bryan Chapell
• Publisher: Crossway
• Print Publication Date: 2013
• Logos Release Date: 2014
• Pages: 1904
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Bible › Reference editions; Bible
• Resource ID: LLS:GSPLTRNSFRMTBBL
• Resource Type: Study Bible
• Metadata Last Updated: 2025-04-18T16:51:15Z

About Bryan Chapell

Dr. Bryan Chapell is the senior pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria, Illinois and president emeritus at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, where he has served in leadership capacities since 1985. Dr. Chapell is an internationally renowned preacher, teacher, and speaker, and the author of many books, including Christ-Centered Worship, Each for the Other, Holiness by Grace, Praying Backwards, The Hardest Sermons You’ll Ever Have to Preach, and Christ-Centered Preaching, a preaching textbook now in multiple editions and many languages that has established him as one of the nation’s foremost teachers of homiletics. He and his wife, Kathy, have four children.

Sample Pages from ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible: Notes