Cracking open your first Thompson Chain-Reference Bible can be a little intimidating. At first glance, it’s all lists of numbers and abbreviations, but don’t let that discourage you. Here, we will go through all of those little notations in the margins of your Bible, and you’ll be a pro in no time.

The first thing we are going to look at is the keys. The keys are the top portion that will tell you everything you need to know about the book you are studying. The first line shows you the author of that particular book of the Bible. The second line offers up a number that corresponds to a number in the index at the back of your Bible, where you can further delve into your studies and read the analysis of the Gospel.

Aside from showing you exactly where to look for the Gospel analysis, key verses, thoughts, and the main theme are also highlighted– this way, you can have a deeper understanding and get the most out of your Bible studies.

The next portion we are going to take a look at is the chapter analysis. The chapter analysis helps you to break down and digest the chapter you’ve just finished. By summarizing the chapter in a way that explains the meaning of the chapter, why it was written, and why it is important, this helps to ensure you have a full understanding of everything you read.

In an effort to save you hours of page flipping and searching for a verse you vaguely remember you can use the topical guide numbers to find verses throughout the Bible that correlate with your current studies, similar to the way you use the corresponding numbers to locate items in the index.

In the same area as the topical guide number, you will find the Chain-Reference number that leads you to the exact verse in the Bible for what you are studying.

The topical guide numbers and the Chain-Reference number may seem confusing or too similar to one another, but there is one big difference between the two. The topical guide number leads you to the first verse in which your topic of study was referenced, while the Chain-Reference number leads you to the next verse the topic is referenced.

The next portion of the margin to familiarize yourself with are the parallel passages (in your Bible you will see this abbreviated as p.p). The parallel passages list passages all throughout the Bible that cover the same topic of theme as what you are currently studying.

Following the parallel passages is the complete verse analysis that contains the topics covered in every verse of the Bible. By following the number located in the verse analysis, you will find every verse in the Bible that discusses the same topic that you are reading about.

There are two indexes you should be comfortable using. The first is the alphabetical index that lists everything you may want to look up in alphabetical order. The numerical index lists all of that same information numerically, using topical guide numbers to make your search even easier.

There is no easier or better way to study the Bible, the margins in the Thompson Chain Reference Bible highlight all of the most important details for you to review making it so you can utilize your Bible the most efficient way. This Bible is the perfect study tool for anyone looking to grow in their faith or a student, like those at a private Catholic high school in Holmdel, NJ looking for some extra study resources.