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Mom's Personal Bible
- This topic has 17 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 8 months ago by
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Good Morning!
For the last 4 1/2 years I have been reading the Women of Faith NIV bible. It is pretty beat up, marked up, etc. and it’s time for a new bible. I’m ready to move past the NIV. And, although the women’s encouragement has been helpful as I started my Christian walk, I’m finding it’s a little distracting now as I study. I am leaning towards the NKJV Open Bible. It is quite costly, so, before we make the purchase, I thought I would just ask the opinions of some other like-minded christian women.
What bible do you all use for your personal bible study/quiet time?
Kathi
My Bible that I read is the Cambridge KJV. I often refer to the MacArthur Study Bible for explanations. I just purchased the ESV Study Bible for my husband. World magazine recommended it very, very highly and he is loving it. You also get it all online with the purchase of the Bible. Yes, I am coveting his Bible
but I can get online. Have fun; Bible shopping is always exciting!Blessings,
Cindy
Cindy
We would love to have the MacArthur Study Bible…my husband actually looked at it on Amazon when we were looking for me. I’m starting to hear a lot about ESV…why would you rather that than your KJV…just wondering. How long have you been reading KJV? It seems like unless you’re raised by it (which I was not) it’s sooo hard to understand.
We actually already have one NKJV Open Bible, but it was a gift to my husband from a childhood Sunday School teacher, so we don’t want to write in it, underline in it…but since we already have one, maybe I should look at something else…
Kathi
My husband and I personally love reading The Books of the Bible (TNIV). The chapter and verse divisions have been removed which makes for a wonderfully flowing text that doesn’t get artificially interrupted (you know, the way the original recipients would have heard the word
). Also, books have been put in an order which provides more help in understanding based on genre, historical circumstance and theological tradition and books which have been traditionally divided are put back together (Luke-Acts). We love reading this version of the bible and find it hard to put down. It’s available through the International Bible Society (IBS) and it’s very inexpensive (under $10). I understand you said that you are “ready to move past the NIV” and the TNIV is only slightly different, but the format is so phenomenally simple and refreshing, you might find yourself enjoying diving into God’s Word in a brand new, ancient way (without all the other voices of commentators giving you their “helps”). Whatever you choose, I hope you are refreshed and renewed in the Truth of His Word!http://thebooksofthebible.info/main.php
Rachel
I have to second the recommendation on the ESV. It’s such a good mix of literal translation and modern readability.
You mentioned the Open Bible, which is a good choice. If you’re thinking about spending the money on a good study Bible, take a look at the ESV Study Bible. It’s an amazing reference. They have a very nice Web site with sample pages and such at http://www.esvstudybible.org/.
Here’s a good example showing how some of the reference material is integrated with the text: http://www.esvstudybible.org/images/sample.jpg
I feel compelled to mention that several years ago I realized while I was reading my bible one morning that I was so engrossed in the study notes in the margins, I wasn’t paying very much attention to the actual scripture. The more I thought about it, the more I recognized that it had become a habit. I decided to stop using a study bible for my personal reading time because I felt convicted that I was more interested in the commentary than the Word itself. In sharing this, I am in no way implying that you are doing this, I just wanted to share my experience as there are several recommendations for study bibles here. As a former bible college student my tendency was to dive into the brainy stuff supplied by scholars and theologians rather than the simple Word. While there is definitely a proper time for bending my ear to scholars and theologians, it is not during my special time alone with Jesus. Just wanted to share that with whoever wants to think on it
Rachel
Ditto, Rachel. I’ve been convicted of the very same thing before. I get concerned about this for our children too. I just went through a box of books that we had stored last year and found some Christian children’s books and Bibles that I felt compelled to remove from our library because they read more like someone else’s interpretation of Scripture instead of leading the reader to think for themselves or to ask God to reveal what a particular passage meant.
Thanks for the reminder! Blessings,
mj
I use the NRSV. Mine also has the apocrypha in it. This is the edition a couple of different pastors have recommended to me for a more academic approach. It apprarently is a more accurate translation. Sometimes, ona more difficult pasage, I do like the NIV, though. Its easier to read.
I have done the disciple bible study program, and that is the bible they recommend.
I use the King James Version, just the good old stuff. You can read it free online here:
And you can buy copies ranging from inexpensive($8.20) to leatherbound($48.50) and a large print version for easy readability(starts at $34.00) here:
I agree, having commentary right there gets me reading more of the commentary and less of what God says!
everyone’s got me thinking about getting a bible with study notes…very good points here. like i said, the women’s encouragement in my current bible is distracting, i’m wondering if “study notes” would be as well. maybe just a good old fashioned KJV and a good seperate commentary would be best…???
kathi
I also just use a no frills KJV Bible and then have a small notebook that I keep my own notes in. I write down verses that I have questions on, or ones that mean something to me. I also will write down words that I want to study further, or people that I want to know more about. Then use a concordance to get more information.
I use and love my KJV as well, and then we have e-Sword on our computer that I use for studying. e-Sword is free, except some downloads – like the NIV bible. But everything we have on there has been free. We have several different bible versions on it. I love that I can look up a word, using the Strong’s numbers, and see how that one Greek (or Hebrew) word was used and translated into different English words. It has really helped my understanding of scripture. The basic installation includes the King James Version, King James Version w/ Strong’s numbers, and Strong’s dictionary. We have several bible versions, commentary, etc.
I have never thought about this before, until I read the thread. I also have the Women of Faith NIV bible and I do read the notes along the side and all the ‘extra’ stuff. It does take away from the bible for me. Though as I said, I would have never thought of it until I read this thread. Now I am wondering if I should get a different bible? Though with all the choices I have no idea which I would get. I don’t understand why their are so many bibles to choose from, if it’s all from God, why so many KJV, NSV, NIV, ESV, NASB, NLT, TNIV etc, etc. (This is just a thought, not really a question.)
Gordon Fee wrote an excellent book called “How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth”, it may be helpful for anyone who is confused about bible transmission/translation:
Also, you can go to http://www.biblegateway.com/ and read the Bible in different translations for free so you get a feel for which ones you prefer.
Love Wins,
Rachel
An article some of you might find helpful is titled Which Bible Should I Use. It is written from the perspective of a pastor looking for a translation to recommend to his congregation. He starts with a brief history of translations then examines in detail some essentials that make a good translation for Christians to use in their everyday lives:
- Honest and appropriate scholarship
- God-honoring philosophy of translation
- Readability for the average user
- Extensive usability
- Wide spread availability
I think the article does a good job of explaining why there are so many translations and will give you some things to think about in choosing one, even if you come to a different conclusion than the author.
but I can get online. Have fun; Bible shopping is always exciting!
). Also, books have been put in an order which provides more help in understanding based on genre, historical circumstance and theological tradition and books which have been traditionally divided are put back together (Luke-Acts). We love reading this version of the bible and find it hard to put down. It’s available through the International Bible Society (IBS) and it’s very inexpensive (under $10). I understand you said that you are “ready to move past the NIV” and the TNIV is only slightly different, but the format is so phenomenally simple and refreshing, you might find yourself enjoying diving into God’s Word in a brand new, ancient way (without all the other voices of commentators giving you their “helps”). Whatever you choose, I hope you are refreshed and renewed in the Truth of His Word!
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