The Thompson Chain Reference Bible: A Brief History
- davidearlestevens
- Apr 17
- 11 min read
Updated: Apr 25
It’s been said that God’s workers pass on, but God’s work carries on. That is certainly the case with the author of the study notes in the Thompson Chain Reference Bible (TCRB). The name of Frank Charles Thompson is not an everyday household name. Yet the study Bible that he began to develop in the late 1800s is known today around the world. The TCRB is one of the oldest study Bibles on the market, having been in print in some form for nearly 120 years.
My dad gave me my first Thompson Bible when I was fifteen years old. It looks well-used. The leather binding is cracked from age. The pages are brittle and worn. Verses are underlined. Comments are scribbled in the margin. One may get the impression that I was a scholar in the making at such a young age! Yet that is far from the truth.
Like so many who own a TCRB, I really had no idea how to use it! The multitude of topics and numbers in the margins looked impressive, if not scholarly! But the seemingly daunting task of learning the system and benefiting from the limitless possibilities of comparing Scripture with Scripture was a bit overwhelming—especially for a teen. Like many, I continued to use this Bible as any other Bible—reading the biblical text all the while ignoring the wealth of information provided by the author’s years of research.
Now, fast-forward some fifty years . . .
Having served as both pastor and missionary in the United States, Belgium and France, I was invited to attend a pastoral training seminar in Dakar, Senegal in the summer of 2014. There I had the privilege of translating into French the instruction given by Pastor Chuck Ballard, the Director of African Pastoral Training. This ministry uses the TCRB as its primary training tool helping pastors and church leaders better study and faithfully exposit the Scriptures. As I translated the instructor's words, God transformed my understanding of this unequaled tool for the study and preaching of God’s Word. The TCRB is truly a gold mine of biblical wealth. It is a miniature theological library in one single volume—a mobile Bible institute. It is like a powerful Bible software program, but in hardware form. Some of the outstanding features of this valued study tool are:
• Over 100,000 topical references
• Over 4,000 Chain Topics (nearly 8,000 if one counts the sub-topics!)
• Character studies
• Outline studies for each book of the Bible
• Journey maps and Bible harmonies
• Biblical Atlas
• Concordance
From that day on I began to use the TCRB as my primary tool of biblical research and sermon preparation. And not only that, but I’ve had the joy of helping thousands of others benefit from the TCRB in their personal lives and ministry.
But how did it all begin? How did the TCRB become the study Bible that people know and love today, encouraging the student of Scripture to examine the limitless connections within the Word of God? Most importantly, what makes the TCRB unique among the multitude of study Bibles on the market today?
Early Life and Ministry
Good biographies never begin with their subjects, but with the parents and grandparents as well. Frank Charles Thompson was born in Elmira, New York, on March 2, 1858, to the Reverend Joshua and Sarah Jane (Hathaway) Thompson.* His mother was involved in missionary work to young African American women and leading Bible studies. His father was a pastor in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Apparently, the young Frank Thompson was reared in such a way that he “sucked in godliness along with his mother’s milk”— as the reformer Calvin once quipped of the Apostle Paul’s young protégé, Timothy.
Such upbringing afforded Frank Thompson a bedrock foundation for his faith, enabling him to face the later losses in his life. After the passing of his first wife, Edith Walters, Frank Thompson married Laura Boughton of Victor, New York in September 1887. They had three children: Florence, Edith, and Paul, all three of whom preceded their parents in death. As Rabbi Abraham Heschel once asked: "The man who has not suffered--what does he know anyway?" The school of suffering was part and parcel of Dr. Thompson's preparation for his life work.
Frank Thompson began ministry with the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1881. He was soon ordained as a deacon and in 1885 anointed as an Elder in the denomination. He later earned a Doctor of Divinity in 1897 from Boston University and subsequently was granted the Doctor of Philosophy by Taylor University, having completed courses in ethics, sociology and international law. Dr. Thompson quickly became known for his effective teaching and preaching style and was particularly effective among children. While the majority of his ministry was in and around Rochester, New York, he and his wife later moved to Los Angeles, California where he became the director of Life Bible College (now Life Pacific College). From there he also wrote a couple of works for children: Bob’s Hike (1927) and a novel entitled Barriers to Eden (1939).
Beginning his work on the TCRB
It was early in his ministry that Dr. Thompson became disappointed with the reference Bibles being used by preachers of his day. He believed Bible study tools should be presented in a simple but scholarly way; well organized, but also versatile and usable for church members and seasoned ministers alike. He also wanted it to be portable and fit within the dimension of other reference Bibles on the market at the time. Furthermore, he wanted to remove the human element from the equation—such as interpretive commentary on the biblical text—allowing Scripture to comment on itself.
How could he create such an unbiased work?
In 1890, Dr. Thompson, with the help of his wife Laura, began the work he would continue for the rest of his life. They examined every verse of Scripture in multiple translations, consulting many of the available Bible commentaries and topical helps to aid in this study. They then categorized the topics found in those verses into different subject areas, noting these in the margins next to the verses in his wide-margin Bible. Originally, these were simply “thought suggestions" written opposite the verses throughout the Bible. Rather than simply sprinkling the margins with cross-references, he later began to link these verses with numbers assigned to each topic and sub-topic. Some of these included a reference to the next verse that featured the same topic. Through his daily study of God’s Word, he discovered more than 4,000 major topics in the Bible. These are what became the "chain-links" that comprise the heart of the Thompson system, allowing users to follow any topic, idea, person, or place from the beginning to the end of the Bible.
First Edition of the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible
Several people in Dr. Thompson’s church saw the notations he had written in the margins of his Bible. Being fascinated by his system of study, they asked if they could have one of their own. Recognizing how helpful it was for Bible study and sermon preparation, they encouraged Dr. Thompson to have his Bible published so others could have access to this helpful study system.
Unfortunately, Dr. Thompson was a poor Methodist preacher without the financial means to publish such a work on his own. However, some of those in his church who deeply appreciated his work were successful business people in the fruit and canning industry. They stepped forward to provide what was needed to see Thompson’s reference Bible published. Together they formed the Chain-Reference Bible Publishing Company and chose the renowned English printer of that day, Henry Frowde, to select the typefaces for the text and marginal references.
The first edition of the Thompson® Chain-Reference® Bible was printed and bound in 1908 by the Methodists Book Concern of Dobbs Ferry, New York. However, it wasn’t distributed very well at that time, so few people had the opportunity to take advantage of the study system that the Thompsons had developed. Furthermore, this first edition did not include many of the tools available in the TCRB today. For example, it did not include the numbers for the topics that organize the study tools in today’s Bibles. It did include the subject index, but the number and variety of subjects was far less than what we have available today. Even after several years on the market, it was still the poorest-selling reference Bible available.
B. B. Kirkbride Bible Company
Dr. Thompson wanted to make improvements to this Bible and also make it more widely available. This was difficult to do under the Methodists Book Concern of Dobbs Ferry, so he began to look for other options. To increase distribution and have the capability to make constant improvements to the chain-reference system, Dr. Thompson joined with B.B. Kirkbride in 1913 to form the Kirkbride Bible Company in Indianapolis, Indiana. Through this productive partnership, both of Dr. Thompson’s goals were met. The Kirkbride Bible Company produced the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible for over 100 years, during which time they sold over 4 million copies. With this new partnership, the TCRB quickly became known as the most helpful, comprehensive, and unbiased study Bible available.
TCRB Improvements
Over the ensuing years, the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible continued to be improved with new features, topics, and references. Newer editions added to the number of topics and references along with a more substantial set of reference tools in the end matter. The 2nd edition was published in 1917 and enjoyed much wider distribution. The 3rd edition was published in 1929. This edition added the topical numbering system to the New Testament. This became a popular addition, and the publishers at B.B. Kirkbride soon learned that readers were responding well to this innovation. They wanted more!
After Dr. Thompson’s passing in 1940, his work and legacy continued over the years with several major updates and enhancements to the study system. In 1964, the 4th edition was published, adding the numbering system to the Old Testament. So, for the first time, the TCRB included the popular numbering system in the margins in both Old and New Testaments. This edition also added pictorial maps and journeys of Abraham, Joshua, Gideon, Samuel, Saul, David, and Solomon. It also featured an archaeological supplement developed by Dr. G. Frederick Owen, a feature that was also linked to the numbering system.
The 5th edition of the KJV TCRB was published in 1988. It improved the TCRB tool set even further and added new features such as a KJV glossary and improved cross-reference chains. Also, the maps, charts, and diagrams featured in the end matter were added to the numbered system and listed in the index. The original TCRB in the King James Version was later published in modern translations including the New International Version (NIV), the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the New King James Version (NKJV), and the English Standard Version (ESV). The TCRB was also published in other global languages, including French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Each included the same tools and structure, so those familiar with one edition could naturally use the others.
On December 2, 2020, HarperCollins Christian Publishing (HCCP) announced they had acquired the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible from Kirkbride to be published by Zondervan. Melinda Bouma, Vice-President of Zondervan, writes:
Zondervan is honored to uphold the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible’s legacy. It’s a timeless resource that brings us new opportunities to reach Bible readers who are interested in the study of topics linked throughout God’s Word. With this Bible, the Kirkbride Bible Company has helped people from around the world to have a more engaged and enriched relationship with our Creator and we are thrilled to now carry that work forward. We are committed to invest and revive this innovative reference Bible and expand its distribution.
Thompson’s chain-reference system has been refined for over 115 years into a sophisticated navigational system that’s both intuitive and natural. It not only shows themes in the text, but it makes them easy to navigate. As Dr. Thompson perceived over a century ago, Scripture is its own best commentary! No other study Bible allows Scripture to interpret Scripture to the extent that the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible does.
It’s understandable that the TCRB has had over a century of outstanding sales, positive reviews and personal endorsements from thousands of preachers, teachers, and pastors. The late John R. Kohlenberger III, scholar and author of numerous biblical language tools, writes “Thompson provided the model of a study system that was doctrinally objective . . . The most specific reference system.” Rev. Robert E. Brown, who personally knew Dr. Thompson, describes his work as "a monument of systematic and indefatigable study, which has opened to multitudes the treasures of the Book of Books."
Dr. Albert Mohler, Jr., the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky reminisces:
One of the most memorable purchases I made as a teenager was The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible in its original King James Version edition, complete with blue leather cover. I still have it, of course, though it now finds itself surrounded by a host of other Bibles on the shelf nearest to my desk. That study Bible opened the Word of God to me in a whole new way, helping me to make connections in the text and to see how subjects and themes run throughout the Bible.
What I particularly love about this study Bible is that it was developed, not just by a professor, but by a pastor. Again, the above mentioned Rev. Robert E. Brown writes:
It is a joy to bear testimony to his love and loyalty as a co-worker in the ministry of the church. Personal ambition in the sense of a desire to rise above his brethren was not in his nature. He was remarkably resourceful and practical in suggestions for the work of the parish. Deeply loved as a friend and pastor, honored and trusted as a teacher of the word, peculiarly gifted as a speaker to children, a man of deep and ever-growing experience of the Divine fellowship--he was indeed a "good minister of Jesus Christ."
Dr. Thompson was a pastor at heart. He knew the challenges of being a pastor and the time demands on his family and ministry. So, he left us all these helps found in the TCRB, enabling busy pastors and lay teachers to prepare solid teaching from God’s Word. Read his own words as he encourages us to study the Bible as a traveler:
Go over its vast fields of truth; descend into its valleys; climb its mountains of vision; follow its streams of inspiration; enter its halls of instruction; visit its wondrous portrait galleries . . . Study the Word as a miner digs for gold or as a diver plunges into the depts of the sea for pearls. Most great truths do not lie on the surface; they must be brought up into the light by patient toil. (TCRB Revised and Updated ESV, p. 1491).
In Acts 6:2-4 we read:
And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
What was the result of this important decision? Verse 7 tells us: “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”
If we want to see fruit in the ministry, we need to remember our priorities. And the TCRB can help us do just that! It will facilitate our study and communication of the Word of God so that we can better feed the people of God.
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* The following details are taken from various web sites which can be consulted for further information. They include:
"The Thompson Chain-Reference Story". Kirkbride Bible Company (This link is no longer available);
https://gospelofdeliverancearizona.home.blog/2020/04/07/reverend-frank-thompson/#_ftn20;
https://www.zondervan.com/p/thompsonchainreferenceblog/#blog16;
https://www.harpercollinschristian.com/blog/2020/12/03/harpercollins-christian-publishing-acquires-the-thompson-chain-reference-bible-assets/;
https://albertmohler.com/2008/12/15/how-to-use-a-study-bible/.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thompson_Chain-Reference_Bible
http://www.digitalhumanities.org/dhq/vol/6/2/000137/000137.html
https://www.bibleconnection.com/what-is-the-thompson-chain-reference-bible/History of the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33694741/frank_charles-thompson
https://archive.org/details/ThompsonChainReferenceBible/page/n895/mode/2up
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