Hi friends,
You probably know that I am working on two projects at the same time; the online Grace Commentary and its printed counterpart The Grace Bible.
Just for fun, I asked ChatGPT to compare and contrast The Grace Bible and the Grace Commentary. It came up with this table:
This comparison is reasonably accurate for it shows how The Grace Commentary has THREE ADVANTAGES over The Grace Bible:
1. The Grace Commentary is free
The Grace Commentary isn’t “mostly free” – it’s completely free. There’s no paywall, no subscription, no nothing. True, the Grace Commentary is funded by readers, but donors see the same commentary as everybody else.
Why does this matter? The Grace Bible is priced modestly to cover printing and distribution costs. However, in some countries these costs can add up quickly. A copy of The Grace Bible in the USA will set you back a mere $10 or so. But in countries like New Zealand, you can easily pay double or triple that once you factor in shipping and taxes.
Which bugs me.
I’m not writing these books to enrich tech billionaires or tax agencies. I want to support the church, particularly in developing nations where books are expensive or hard to get. For this reason we give away a lot of Grace Bibles and keep the Grace Commentary free.
2. The Grace Commentary contains The Grace Bible
Another misperception made by ChatGPT is that the Grace Commentary offers only a summary, while The Grace Bible is detailed. That’s not true. Everything in The Grace Bible ends up on the Grace Commentary.
When The Grace Bible: Romans was released, I had readers in restricted-access nations asking me to send them free books. From time to time, I am happy to oblige. But usually I just tell them that everything in the Grace Bible can be freely accessed in the Grace Commentary. And this includes Romans.
3. The Grace Commentary is bigger than The Grace Bible
The Grace Commentary is like a first draft of The Grace Bible, which means it is about three times bigger than The Grace Bible. If you have a question about a scripture in Hebrews, you won’t find the answer in The Grace Bible (not yet), but you may find it on the Grace Commentary.
These are just some of the ways The Grace Commentary is superior to the Grace Bible. I haven’t mentioned the extra features, such as the topical studies or answers to common Grace Questions.
So why a Grace Bible?
Given that the Grace Commentary is free and awesome, why would anyone buy The Grace Bible?
The Grace Bible has a lot going for it: it’s polished, printed, and perfect for highlighting. It’s a great tool for personal devotions, group discussions, and lesson preparation. It also makes an excellent gift for pastors or new believers who are reading the Bible for the first time.
The Grace Bible is also ideal for those who rely on Kindle features such as text-to-speech, custom display options, and digital highlighting.
But if you need a comprehensive, grace-based commentary that is free and available anywhere, it’s hard to top the Grace Commentary.
Grace and peace,
Paul
What readers are saying about the Grace Commentary
“I am so happy to daily use The Grace Commentary! I refer it to family and friends often!” ~Leah Williams
“Paul Ellis’ Grace Commentary is a go-to source for Bible commentary from a New Covenant perspective. This priceless resource cuts through the confusion of mixture and provides one of the most sound biblical commentaries I’ve come across.” ~Ben Dailey, lead pastor, Calvary Church, Irving, TX
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I absolutely love the Grace Commentary!
I didn’t find John 20:23 where Jesus tells his disciples that whom they forgive their sin or retain their sin they will be forgiven you retain. Could you explain that to me? Thank you.
Here you go.