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The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible: A Beautiful Gospel Presentation for Preschoolers

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The Bible is for everyone, even the smallest and youngest among us. And children can usually handle more of the Bible than we’re ready to give them. The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible by Jared Kennedy, illustrated by Trish Mahoney, is a new storybook Bible for preschoolers that focuses on the promises of God, made in the Old Testament and kept in the New Testament. How does this resource do at introducing little ones to Christ in the Scripture?

Background

I can’t discuss The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible (BGSB) without first drawing attention to another title from the same publisher, The Gospel Story Bible by Marty Machowski. Machowski’s work teaches 156 Bible stories (78 OT, 78 NT), which synchronize with the Gospel Story Curriculum, a 3-year plan for Sunday school classes through the elementary school years. My church uses the Gospel Story Bible with the corresponding curriculum, and we appreciate the consistency and clear focus on Jesus in every lesson. One criticism of the Gospel Story Bible, however, has been that it doesn’t suit preschoolers. There are too many words and not enough pictures to hold their attention for long, and preschool teachers have had to abridge the stories on the fly to match the prevailing attention span each week.

I was eager to receive a complimentary copy of the BGSB, in exchange for an honest review, to see if it would meet this need.

What it does well

I am always impressed by the production quality of children’s materials from New Growth Press, and the BGSB is no exception. It is sturdy, hefty, bright, colorful, and pleasing to the eye. It exemplifies the excellence I have come to expect.

It abridges the 156 stories from Machowski’s volume down to 52 stories. Each story takes 6-8 pages, with only a sentence or two per page. So the stories really move and make quick transitions from one illustration to the next.

In addition, the BGSB keeps the intense focus on Jesus. Every story mentions him explicitly, communicating rich theology in child-friendly language. Each story offers a moral or lesson that never feels moralistic, as we reach the lesson only after seeing the story through the lens of Jesus.

What could be better

Though I appreciate the general theme of promises made (OT)/promises kept (NT), I don’t sense much of a coherent flow from one story to another. The book feels like a series of episodes, connected only because they each speak in some way about Jesus. Perhaps Jesus should be enough of a thematic connection, but I think David Helm does a better job in The Big Picture Story Bible, where he traces the themes of the people of God under the rule of God in the place God gives. In Helm’s work, Jesus is presented more as the chief climax than as the content of every story.

Also, one of the greatest strengths of Machowski’s Gospel Story Bible is that he includes frequent quotes of Scripture in his storytelling. But unfortunately, Kennedy has dropped this practice in his adaptation for preschoolers in the BGSB. Each story header lists the Scripture reference(s) the story comes from, but, as far as I can tell, the actual words of Scripture are nowhere to be found within the stories. This makes the BGSB less of a story Bible and more of a story about the Bible. The distinction may be subtle, but I think it speaks volumes about how much we trust the Scriptures themselves to speak to the hearts of our little ones.

Conclusion

I’m glad we have a copy of The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible, and I’m eager to read it to my 3-year-old and 1-year-old when we can. But I’ll be looking to give priority of time to other resources that keep the text of Scripture more center-stage. The Bible is for everyone, even the smallest and youngest among us. And children can usually handle more of the Bible than we’re ready to give them.

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NIV Sola Scriptura Bible Project: Reading the Bible in 4D

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There is a new style of movie theater, called 4D film, where moviegoers endure a complete sensory viewing experience. 3D picture, fog machines, strobe lights, sprays of water, and gusts of wind. Have you ever wondered what it might be like to read the Bible in 4D?

This Is It

The NIV Sola Scriptura Bible Project is a new 4-volume reader’s edition of the Bible that does everything possible to improve the reading experience. All clutter—chapter and verse numbers, section headings, footnotes, and cross-references—is removed from the page. The paper is thick and bright, and the binding is sturdy. The font is beautiful. The margins are more than adequate. Spacing is just right. Headers and footers give enough information to enable basic navigation, but they otherwise remain discreet.

So much, so good. But how is this any different from the other reader’s Bibles on the market? How does the NIV Sola Scriptura Bible Project stand out?

Imagine having the text organized by its internal literary divisions instead of traditional “chapter” divisions. This is it. Some study Bibles print book outlines in a separate introduction. But the Sola Scriptura set doesn’t need outlines. The outlines are visible on the page while you read. The major sections of a book are marked by a four-line break and a large capital letter. The next divisions have a three-line break. Further subdivisions have two- or one-line breaks. In other words, the text is presented to you in the structure that would be noticeable if read aloud. The structure intended by the author. This is remarkable.

Even further, imagine if book divisions were unaffected by ancient scroll-length limitations. You know, don’t you, that 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel were always meant to be a single book? But that it was too long to fit on one scroll? And that our Bibles have been forever stuck in printing this text as two books, even though modern printing technology doesn’t need to be limited by the length of ancient scrolls? And let me blow your mind even further: 1 Kings and 2 Kings are merely parts 3 and 4 of the same story. Now, in the Sola Scriptura set, you can read not only the book of Samuel as one book. You can read the complete epic of Samuel-Kings as one long and glorious tale of the rise and fall of the kingdom of Israel. Also, you get Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah as another epic tale of the rise, fall, and rebuilding of that same kingdom.

But wait; there’s more! Imagine if the books of the Bible were arranged in the best possible order to stimulate not only reading but also understanding. What would it be like to read Luke and Acts as two parts of one story, without being so drastically detoured by John, as in standard canonical order? And then picture going from Acts right into Paul’s epistles. But now they’re not put in order from longest to shortest (as in canonical order), but from earliest to latest so you can see the development of Paul’s thought over time. The rest of the New Testament is arranged here in a similar way, which is very similar to the way I’ve recommended would best promote deeper understanding.

In reading the New Testament, we see that the Bible of Jesus’ day consisted of three sections: the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms/Writings (Luke 24:44). What is that all about? If you were to study biblical Hebrew, you would buy yourself a Hebrew Bible and see this order to the books. Stick Lamentations, Esther, Daniel, and Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah with what we call the “Wisdom Books,” and you’ve got “The Writings.” The Law has Genesis through Deuteronomy. Now we see that “The Prophets” consists not only of Isaiah through Malachi (minus Lamentations and Daniel), but also Joshua through Samuel-Kings. This is a different way to read, but it is the way the Jews conceived of these books.

On top of that, let’s re-arrange our prophetic books by chronology instead of by length. This sets us up to walk ourselves through the late history of Israel to keep things in context. What was it like to live during the final days of the northern kingdom? Read Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Micah, and Isaiah. What about those in the southern kingdom watching the fall of their northern cousins? Read Zephaniah, Nahum, and Habakkuk. Want to go into exile (or watch the exiles go)? Read Jeremiah, Obadiah, and Ezekiel. Time to return and rebuild? Read Haggai, Zechariah, Joel, and Malachi. Each book makes a little more sense when read with the others addressing the same situation.

With other reader’s Bibles, I’ve had only three complaints. The paper is impossibly thin. The chapter numbers need to go along with the verse numbers (into the dust bin). And please, oh please, drop the stage cues in the Song of Solomon! Please let us enjoy the poetry and immerse ourselves in it without being told exactly who must be speaking!

The NIV Sola Scriptura Bible Project is the only edition I’ve found that addresses these complaints. And it does so much more to address the complaints I never realized I could have.

What It Could Do Better

So what criticism can I offer about this marvelous edition? Some may not prefer the NIV translation, but I find it a delight to read at length.

Other than that, I could say that the four volumes fit very tightly into the slip case. It’s not easy to grab a volume from the set when I want to read it.

Any edition of a reader’s Bible will not serve you if you need to flip constantly and find particular sentences. And a four-volume set isn’t something to carry around with you wherever you go. You’ll need something else if you need an on-the-go Bible.

But that’s about all the criticism I can muster.

Conclusion

The NIV Sola Scriptura Bible Project solves every complaint I’ve had with other reader’s Bibles. And it solves all the other complaints I didn’t realize I could have had. If you like to read, and you want to get into reading the Bible, this set is for you. Every production decision was made with the reader in mind. I highly recommend it.

Disclaimer: Amazon links are affiliate links. If you click them and buy stuff, you will feed our addiction to extended Bible reading at no extra cost to yourself.

NIV Reader’s Bible: For Readers or Not?

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Paul charged the church in Thessalonica to “have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters” (1 Thess 5:27, NIV). When was the last time your church read one of Paul’s letters in full during a worship service? He expected his letters to be read and taught in this way, but we’ve grown accustomed to dealing with only a few verses at a time.

Now I’m not saying it’s wrong to read or teach the Bible a few verses at a time. But I would suggest this practice shapes us to think of the Bible only a few verses at a time. And we should at least be aware this is not the only (nor perhaps the best) way to read.

Which is why the recent flood of reader’s Bibles is such a delightful turn of events. I recently received a review copy of the NIV Reader’s Bible from Zondervan in exchange for an honest review. How does it hold up?

What It Does Well

As with other reader’s Bibles, the NIV Reader’s Bible gets most of the man-made clutter off the page. There are no verse numbers, cross-references, study notes, or section headings. Chapter numbers are moved out of the text block and into the margin, in a discreet light blue font.

The text presents in a single column, just like the novels and books of poetry we’re used to reading. Scenes with dialogue give a new paragraph to each character that speaks, just like the other narratives we read in our day. This is quite welcome.

Line breaks are placed carefully, being sensitive to the literary flow of the text. This Bible’s editors laudably show no special concern for traditional chapter divisions. They put the line breaks where the text warrants them. For example, in reading Judges, we get a solid block of text from Judges 1:1 all the way to Judges 2:5. Along the way, we wave to an unobtrusive little “2” in the margin that marks the coming and going of Judges 2:1. But we don’t stop to make the acquaintance of that little 2. We drive right by it until we park where the text itself parks, at Judges 2:5. Then we calmly sip our tea, take a breath, and move to the next phase of the story, beginning with Judges 2:6. But we don’t really know it’s verse 6; all we know is that the next round of literary glory awaits us.

And so on, through poetry, prophecy, genealogy, inventory, and letter. This Bible does just fine presenting a clean text that expects to be read and not mutilated.

What Could Be Better

Unfortunately, a few features substantially distract the eager reader.

  1. The margins are too small. With 1/2″ margins all around, the page simply looks like it has too many words on it. There is no buffer, no rest for the eye. When I try to read this Bible for more than a few minutes, I just can’t do it without my eyes bugging out. And I usually have to use my finger to keep my place on the page.
  2. End notes. I do not understand why there are end notes in this Bible. The end note markers either tease or annoy, depending on the reader’s mindset. But either way, they distract from the simplicity of reading. The notes themselves are placed at the end of each Bible book, creating a feeling that you haven’t really read the book unless you’ve spent the time flipping pages back and forth to read them all.
  3. The book is fat and sharp. It has a shorter page height and a wider page width than some other reader’s Bibles. This both adds to the feel of too many words on a page and increases the page count, making the physical book quite fat. In addition, the corners of the spine are sharp, giving the book a distinct rectangular look when sitting on the table. Most books we read have rounded corners to the spine. The fatness and sharpness combine to make this book difficult to hold for extended periods of time. (In its favor, the book lays very flat on a table. But how often do you lose yourself in a book you’re reading on a table?)

Also, this Bible comes with a slip case made from card stock. It’s not really a case, but just a promotional carton for shipping. So if this Bible gets significant use, it will deteriorate quickly.

Conclusion

The NIV is a great translation for extended reading. But unfortunately, the NIV Reader’s Bible does more to distract from the reading experience than to encourage it. This one’s not for me.

Disclaimer: Amazon links are affiliate links. If you click them and buy stuff, this blog will receive a small commission at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you for supporting our Bible reading habits.

CSB Reader’s Bible: A Good Ride

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There seems to be a growing movement among Bible publishers to recognize that the way they present the Scriptures will shape the way people read them. When verses are presented piecemeal on a page, interspersed with frequent interpretive sound bytes, it leads people to read the Bible as a series of disconnected aphorisms. But when they present a clean and unembellished text, they give us permission to take up and read. They communicate that we hold something worth reading. And this direction in Bible publishing is to be celebrated.

The CSB Reader’s Bible takes a noteworthy step in this welcome direction.

What It Does Well

The CSB Reader’s Bible contains the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, typeset just like a novel or book of poetry. With just a single column of text and no chapter or verse numbers, it’s easy to get lost in here. And I mean that in the best possible way. With an edition like this, we’re likely to lose track of time, forget life’s busyness, and simply enjoy the ride.

The CSB Reader’s Bible does a great job helping us to navigate our way. Page footers show which chapters are present on each page, making it easy to find a particular spot. The text also signals new chapters (according to their traditional divisions) with a line break and a large blue first letter, which keeps the text from appearing too monotonous.

And with this volume, Holman Bible Publishers employ a few notable features I’ve not seen before in a Bible:

  1. Prose is not fully justified, but only left-justified. As I read, I find this prevents my eye from skipping lines.
  2. Lines of poetry are all indented the same. Most Bibles try to show the Hebrew parallelism by indenting the second line of each couplet further than the first line. But this often causes lines to wrap to the next line, which gets even more confusing. The CSB Reader’s Bible indents all the lines the same amount, and marks off stanzas with line breaks. As I read, I find it a little more difficult to notice the parallelism of each couplet, but easier to follow the flow of the stanza. This is not a bad thing.

The slipcase that comes with the CSB Reader’s Bible is the sturdiest I’ve seen. This thing will surely take a beating in my book bag and remain intact!

Finally, I must mention again that I am impressed by the CSB translation. It is clear and accurate, a delight to read. In my Sunday night family Bible reading, I have switched over to using the CSB Reader’s Bible, and I haven’t looked back.

What It Could Do Better

I could complain about how extremely thin the paper is, but there’s no other option for a publisher without breaking it out into multiple volumes. And Holman made a great choice in paper quality to make it easy to turn pages.

My biggest beef is simply that the CSB Reader’s Bible sticks with all the traditional chapter divisions. With the ingenuity of a reader’s version of the Bible (removing all verse and chapter numbers), a publisher has total freedom to typeset the text according to true literary divisions. So, for example, the first division in the Bible should come at Genesis 2:4 (“These are the records…”) and not Genesis 2:1 (“So the heavens and the earth…”), which is the conclusion of the story of creation in Genesis 1.

Now I’m sure this would have taken significant manpower to decide where the most natural section divisions should be. It must have been easier to simply stick with the traditional divisions, even though they can sometimes obstruct a good read.

But with that said, the beauty of a reader’s Bible is that you have permission to keep reading through any chapter divisions. Why stop at all? Just enjoy the ride and keep going.

Disclaimer: Amazon links are affiliate links, which will support the blog at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you for helping us to enjoy the ride and continue writing about Bible study!

Disclaimer 2: Holman Bible Publishers provided me with a free copy of the CSB Reader’s Bible in exchange for an honest review.

CSB Study Bible: Great Translation, Fine Study Resource

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The Christian Standard Bible hit with a vibrant ad campaign early in 2017, and a Study Bible version along with it. How does it stand under the hype? As this study Bible is my first exposure to this translation, my review has two parts: the translation itself, and this edition of it.

The CSB Translation

I am more than impressed. I often see Bible publishers promoting their translations as both “readable” and “accurate,” and sometimes I wonder whether they understand those terms the same way I do. Of course, some translations legitimately succeed in both areas, and the CSB is one of them.

The CSB has the courage to mess with a beloved verse to make it more clear:

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Yet every piece of the sentence is there. This is no paraphrase. This is a translation, and one that translates the Bible into the kind of English normal people speak normally in 2017.

If you’d like more examples of the CSB’s accuracy and readability, especially side-by-side with the ESV, see Jeff Medders’s helpful article, “Why We are Moving to the CSB at Redeemer Church.” Though Medders falls prey at times to the myth of literal Bible translations, much of his analysis hits the mark. I can’t unilaterally decide to switch to the CSB in my church and collegiate ministry, but I am eager to lobby for consideration of such a switch.

So I’m very thankful for this translation. You may be seeing more of it on this blog. But what about the CSB Study Bible itself?

The CSB Study Bible

Unfortunately, I am less than impressed. But there’s still much to celebrate. The CSB Study Bible has everything you’d expect in a study Bible: study notes, occasional articles, charts, maps, sketches, book overviews, and lots of cross references. And amid the standard fare, a few things stand out.

What’s good:

  • The book overviews are concise (almost always two facing pages) and focused on the most useful background information.
  • The maps in the back of the Bible are re-printed next to the relevant text. For example, the first map in the back, showing Abraham’s route of migration, is also printed right next to the text of Genesis 12.
  • While many of the articles have material that could be found in just about any study Bible (such as genre introductions or manuscript traditions), quite a few seem fresh and unique (for example: “Messianic Expectations,” “The Bible and Civil Rights, and “Opportunities and Challenges in Global Missions”).

What could be better:

  • I haven’t been able to read all 16,124 study notes, but those I have read (from a selection of testaments and genres) seem to largely lack careful observation of the text. They focus on interpretation, but without the observation, the interpretation goes unsupported.
  • In addition, the study notes tend to assume a certain theological spin, and without communicating any awareness of doing so. For example, on Psalm 87:5-7: “Despite the inclusion of Gentile nations, the Lord would appoint Israel to a special position of leadership in the eschatological kingdom because of her birthright (Is 60; 62:1-5).” Assuming such a view on the future of Israel and the “eschatological kingdom,” without having the space to sufficiently prove it, unfortunately trains readers to narrow their perspective and marginalize dissenters. This tone could have been much improved with a simple, “Despite the inclusion of Gentile nations, many see here a divine appointment of Israel to a special position…” With only 3 more words (which I’m sure could be trimmed even further), greater charity could be extended on less certain matters.
  • Word studies. This volume has 368 of them, scattered throughout the text, interrupting what could have been a fine study session. These “word studies” consist of a paragraph listing many (or sometimes all) of the different ways a certain Hebrew or Greek word could be translated. Unfortunately, the word studies do almost nothing to aid the reader’s study of the text at hand (the text on the top of that page) and therefore distract the reader from observing, interpreting, or applying these passages in context. Please be careful when you use tools like study Bibles, and don’t let them take you away from the inspired text!

Conclusion

I’ve added the CSB Study Bible to my Study Bible Buying Guide (which you can find anytime on the Resource page). It ranks in the top half of study Bibles I’ve reviewed and would be a fine choice to assist your OIA study of scripture. You can find it on Amazon.

I’m eagerly awaiting a reader’s version of the CSB, as I think this translation will lend itself to ravenous consumption.

Disclaimer 1:1: Amazon links are affiliate links, so if you click them to look at stuff, you’ll send a small commission our way at no extra cost to yourself. And the Hebrew word for “look” is navat, which “may involve just physical vision or include internal processes like approval, trust, or remembrance” (CSB Study Bible, p.1430). I’ll let you look back at the first sentence of this disclaimer and decide which way to best understand the word.

Disclaimer 1:2: The publisher sent me a free copy of the CSB Study Bible in exchange for an honest review.

ESV 6-Volume Reader’s Bible, Part 2: Last Impressions

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In the first review, O God-lover, I have dealt with all that Crossway began to conceive and risk, until the day they presented the world an utterly uncluttered, heretofore unseen, edition of God’s word. They showed us a living and active book, appearing to the populace just like any other book, yet speaking about the kingdom of God. And just as this edition’s first eyewitnesses delivered many opinions to us, it seemed good to me also, having now read every page of the 6-volume set, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning whether this literary wonder should grace your shelves.

For the facts about the physical books, page layout, and specifications, please see my first review. For reflections on the reading experience itself, read on.

The Bible tells a story

I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve heard it before: The Bible tells a unified story, beginning to end, of God’s glorious rescue, through Christ, of his fallen creation. But, though you’re familiar with the idea, do you read the Bible like a story? That is, do you read the Bible the way you would read a story? Beginning to end. Pages at a time. Devouring the drama. Anxiously awaiting the next plot twist.

Most people read the Bible like an encyclopedia. Or like a menu. Or like a codebook. And most Bible typesetting encourages us to read the Bible in these ways.

But the clean look of the ESV Reader’s Bible, 6 Volume Set expects you to read the Bible as you’d read any other book. It encourages you to keep reading and reading. There are no big black numbers coercing you to a screeching halt every few verses. There are no verses. You can’t snack on this thing. All you can do is binge.

And if you get into a theological debate with someone, and this edition is all that’s handy, your only recourse to objection is to read (or tell) a story. Sort of like what Jesus did when he faced opposition…

The Poetry drips with glory

I’ve often struggled with the Bible’s poetry. It often just doesn’t connect with me the way I hear it does for other people. But that has always surprised me, because I have no problem enjoying other poetry. I’ve read Shakespeare, Longfellow, and others to great profit. And I’ve grown to love Proverbs and Job, but Psalms and the Prophets are hard, hard going.

And I now wonder how much my struggle has to do with the typesetting more than the content.

In reading the 6-volume set, I could not put the Psalms down. The Prophets were still challenging, but they felt more…personal. It’s amazing what happens when you get the verse numbers, excessive footnotes, and narrow columns out of the way. Volumes 3 (Poetry) and 4 (Prophets) look and feel like other poetry collections. They sit nicely in hand, invite a nightcap, and call for extended reflection. I know I could read the Psalms meditatively in any version of the Bible, but the reader’s set basically begged me to do so.

Reading the Bible is fun again

As a child and pre-teen, I loved to read. And I learned young that, if I wanted to read the Bible, my best option was to take up a story Bible. The Bible itself was for study, preaching, or classes. Lengthier consumption—you know, the kind done after hours under the covers with a flashlight—was reserved for the “interesting,” the “engaging” re-tellings of biblical tales in children’s Bibles or youth story books.

But discovering God’s word, as presented in the ESV’s 6 Volume Set, rekindled a joy in reading God’s word like I have never experienced. Perhaps this set might do the same for you.

Conclusion

You can tell this review is not so much about this specific edition of the ESV, as it is more about the philosophy that birthed said edition. This philosophy ought to be shouted from the mountaintops. I hope this experiment of Crossway’s provokes a revolution among Bible publishers. I hope we see a similar reader’s edition for every translation. Since the ESV set, one has been published for the KJV. I’m aware of both single-volume and multi-volume reader’s Bibles coming this spring for the NIV. Perhaps more are on the way.

I doubt we’ll ever lose our unreasonably cluttered editions of the Bible altogether. They are useful, after all, for study, preaching, and classes. But I hope new generations of Christians can be brought up learning to simply read the Bible. It is, after all, a book. Or 6.

ESV Reader’s Bible, Six-Volume Set. Get it at Amazon or Westminster.

Disclaimer: Amazon and Westminster links are affiliate links. If you click them and buy stuff, we’ll get a small commission, thus enabling our ongoing Bible reading binge.

e-Sword: Bible Study Software for Everyone

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If you like reading the Bible digitally, you’ve got options galore. Dozens of websites and smartphone applications are right around the corner.

And if you want a powerful computer program, you can check out Logos Bible Software. Peter wrote a two-part review of this program last summer (part 1, part 2).

One downside to Logos is the expense. The enormous power rightly comes at a cost. If you don’t want to spend that sort of money, but you’d still like a quality program, this post is for you. Let me introduce you to e-Sword.

The Most Useful Features

Rick Meyers began writing e-Sword back in the year 2000. Now the software is up to version 11.0 and it is being downloaded in 235 countries around the world. From the beginning, Rick has generously offered this delightful program for free.

I won’t explain every last detail about e-Sword, but I’ll talk through the basics. First, a screenshot of my setup.

(Click for larger image.)

Here are my favorite things about e-Sword.

  • Compare translations — The “parallel” feature places several translations of the Bible side by side. The benefits are obvious. (The e-Sword engine as well as many Bible translations are available for free, but you’ll have to pay a little for some translations. In the screenshot above, the ESV was free but I paid $20 for the NASB.)
  • Count repeated words — This was one of Peter’s favorite features about Logos, and e-Sword has it too. Pick any section of Scripture, choose Analyze Verses under the Bible menu, and you’re off.
  • Mark up the text — I’m a big fan of marking up my Bible, so I’m glad to be able to underline and highlight within e-Sword.
  • Internal editor — e-Sword has its own built-in word processor. Use this to jot down observations or questions as you read and study; many use the editor to write Bible studies or sermons. You can link each note with a verse or section of Scripture, creating your own commentary of sorts.
  • Configurable layout — The four main panes in the e-Sword window (seen in the screenshot above) are Bible, Commentaries, Dictionaries, and Editors. Any section can be maximized, resized, or eliminated.
  • Search — We assume all digital versions of the Bible have this feature, but it is nonetheless useful. e-Sword can handle normal searches with ease, but if you’re an advanced searcher you can also use regular expressions. Check the e-Sword user’s guide (press F1 within e-Sword) for help.
  • Printing and copying — Choose from several formatting options and grab sections of the Bible to copy or print. These make for great handouts or study materials. It may seem simple, but I use this feature a lot.

Other Nice Features

The strengths of e-Sword I’ve listed above are the ones I use the most. But e-Sword can do much more.

  • Commentaries and dictionaries — There are many free (and some paid) commentaries and Bible dictionaries available from within e-Sword. Some of these are more helpful than others, as you might imagine.
  • Maps and pictures — e-Sword contains a graphics viewer, and you can download tons of maps and pictures. Check out anything from NASA maps to Bible timelines to Bible book wordclouds.
  • Books — Some books in the public domain are available in a format compatible with e-Sword. You can download books like Foxe’s Book of Martyrs or The Pursuit of God and read them from within e-Sword.
  • Devotional aids — If you’d like your whole devotional life in one place, e-Sword can do it. You can set up a Bible reading plan, keep track of prayer requests, work on Scripture memorization, and read a daily devotional work.
  • Support — In addition to the official resources available for download through e-Sword, there is an online community available at biblesupport.com. Go here to ask for help, find unofficial commentaries and dictionaries, and watch tutorials.

A Familiar Caution

I recommend e-Sword to you with one warning. This recommendation isn’t specific to e-Sword; here at Knowable Word, we’ve given this advice related to Logos Bible Software, Bible commentaries, and Study Bibles:

Don’t let this resource take you away from the Bible.

Study the Bible and not just what others say about the Bible. Observe carefully; interpret diligently. Then, if you want to check your interpretation or stimulate your thinking for application, seek out the work of others. But anchor all you do in the word of God.

When used with this wisdom, e-Sword is a dynamite free resource anyone can use.

ESV 6-Volume Reader’s Bible, Part 1: First Impressions

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23Most of us are blindw to how typographical conventionsx affect the way we read something. And we’re reading things, 24all the time!y But we train ourselves to ignorez the clutter and skimaa the words on the page or screen, 25and who knows how much we

missbb in the processcc? Jots like foot—notesdd, cross-references, and 26verse numbers aren’t present in most things we read. But we’ve learned to treat the Bibleee different than any other book. 27And this is not always to our advantageff gg hh.

 

I’m going to drop the annoying clutter now. Why? Because it gets in your way and decreases your motivation to keep reading.

Thanks, in part, to these typographical conventions, modern Bible readers have been well-trained not to read the Bible. We sample the Bible. We dabble in its teachings. We memorize verses. We support our theological convictions with proof texts.

But if we want to read something, we pick up a newspaper or fantasy novel. We’ll spend hours and hours reading all kinds of things, but how many of us handle the Scriptures only in 10-minute spurts?

For a few years now, I’ve encouraged readers to throw their caution to the scorching east wind and indulge themselves in the sumptuous delight of extended Bible reading. The challenge was always finding an edition of the Bible actually conducive to extended reading.

Two years ago, Crossway took a major risk and released the ESV Reader’s Bible (cloth and TruTone). Finally, we had a Bible meant to be read. With no verse numbers, section headings, footnotes, or cross-references, we had ascended the peak of Pisgah and could see ‘cross the river into a good land, a rich land.

But… As I wrote in my review, while the ESV Reader’s Bible was a great cause for celebration, it was still only “almost” how the Bible was meant to be read. I had a few minor beefs with it, some of which I believed to be outside of Crossway’s control:

  1. Impossibly thin paper
  2. Chapter numbers
  3. Song of Solomon stage cues

Dealing with beefs 2 and 3 would certainly lead us to glory. But beef #1 was admittedly impossible. As I wrote, “I’m not sure how else they could have fit 1825 pages into a single volume. This page formatting holds fewer words per page than typical Bible typesetting, and something has to give to manage the physical thickness.” If they could do the impossible, they just might take us into the third heaven.

And They’ve Done It

readers-bible-6-volume

Crossway did something I never would have expected two years ago. What was impossible for one volume, they did by publishing the Bible in six volumes, “that the Word of God might be treasured for a lifetime.”

The paper is thick and solid, just like any other book. The page layout has plain text in paragraphs or stanzas, just like any other book. It has page numbers at the bottom and brief headings at the top, just like any other book. This wonderful edition of the Bible is pleasing to the eye, sturdy in cover and binding, and comfortable to hold for long periods of reading. Just like any other book.

readers-bible-6-volume-interior

Fancy that. An edition of the Bible that entices you to sit and read. For a time, you might lose track of time. You might forget your to-do list. You just might set aside some of those cares you perpetually carry around. And this Bible promises abundant delight within its pages. You won’t carry this thing around in a backpack; it’s not meant to be portable. It will sit on a shelf or on your desk, and you won’t be able to keep your hands off it. This edition isn’t cheap, either, because it embodies Crossway’s vision “that the Word of God might be treasured for a lifetime.”

So far, in the copy Crossway gave me (in exchange for an honest review), I’ve read only a few books of the Bible. But I must say this has been the most enjoyable time I’ve ever had reading God’s word. I couldn’t recommend this edition any more highly.

You can pick up this marvelous cloth-over-board set at either Westminster Books or Amazon. For the most serious collectors, Crossway’s website also allows you to order the cowhide-over-board edition. Both are limited editions, and they won’t be available forever.

Odds and Ends

I’m calling this review “Part 1” because it has my impressions after only a few days of use. I plan to use these 6 volumes for my annual read-through beginning on January 1. Expect part 2 of the review to come early in the Spring after I’ve read the entire set.

Also, you can expect another Bible reading contest on the blog this year. You won’t have to finish the Bible before me; you’ll just have to read the entire Bible between January 1 and March 31. If you do, you can enter our drawing to win a free copy of this six-volume Reader’s Bible!

Disclaimer #1: Links to Westminster Books and Amazon are affiliate links, so if you click them you’ll grant this blog a small commission and thus feed our addiction to extended Bible reading.

Disclaimer #2: It is a fallen world, and no one but the Lord Jesus is perfect. My proof of this? The 6-volume set fixes my beefs #1 and #2. But, alas, beef #3 remains. I guess you can’t have everything.

Better Than Wine: Logos 7 Now Available

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A few months ago, I made the acquaintance of Logos Bible Software (version 6). And like a mare among Pharoah’s chariots, this software captivated my heart with a single glance of the eyes (Song 1:9, 4:9). Logos 6 had hair like a flock of goats leaping down the slopes of Gilead (Song 4:1) – and, thanks to the software, I finally understand both how mountainous Gilead truly is and why said goats would want to leap down its slopes. So a new love was born. Because Logos has been so helpful to my Bible reading and Bible study, I’ve barely touched a physical Bible since I began using the software.

If you want to learn the basics of what Logos does and how, I refer you to my previous two-part review:

  1. Unlimited Power.
  2. Does It Help With Bible Study?

And this short video explains the essence of Logos: a theological library and a feature set.

But in this review, I want to focus on the new features available in Logos 7 that you couldn’t get in Logos 6. As you can imagine, Logos 7 has many more new features than those on my list. But these are the features I believe ordinary people would most appreciate as they learn to study the Bible.

1. Repeated Words

Logos 7 has a “Concordance Tool” that will supercharge your observation of repeated words like never before. With Logos 7, you can:

  • Generate a list of the most repeated words within any defined chunk of text.
    • Whole Bible? (Top 5: Lord, not, all, God, said.)
    • Books of Moses? (Lord, not, all, people, said.)
    • Exodus? (Lord, Moses, people, all, said.)
    • Exodus 1-19? (Lord, people, Moses, said, all.)
    • Exodus 1? (people, all, Egypt, midwives, Israel.)
  • See exactly how many times each keyword occurs, and in exactly which verses. (“People” = Ex 1:7, 9, 9, 12, 13, 20, 22)
  • Export this list to a spreadsheet to save or print.

Logos 7 also has a helpful feature when a Bible translation is open, called Corresponding Words. Once I’ve discovered that “people” is the most repeated word, I can hover my mouse over the word “people” in Exodus 1:7. Logos then automatically highlights every instance of the word “people” in the entire chapter. This sort of analysis used to take me 30 minutes or more, and now I can do it with Logos in about 10 seconds.

The Concordance Tool is incredibly robust. It can show me every instance of not only the word “Pharaoh” but also the person Pharaoh. The former occurs only 4 times in Exodus 1, but the latter occurs 17 times (including “a new king” in Ex 1:8 and “he” in Ex 1:9). No physical concordance can provide such information so quickly. Take a peek yourself, through this short video.

2. Logical Outlines

Logos 6 had logical outlines for every New Testament book, and Logos 7 now adds this feature to every Old Testament book. These outlines break out every sentence and phrase into its parts, showing how the parts are related to one another and flow from one to the next. These outlines give quick access to observation of the passage’s basic grammar and train of thought. And this careful observation paves the way for more vigorous interpretation and application.

3. Text Comparison

Logos 7 lets you quickly examine different translations of the same passage side by side. The software automatically highlights the differences so you can explore how the translators’ choices may affect the way you’d read the verse. You can do this yourself with 5 or 6 open Bibles and excessive jumping from tome to tome. Or you can do it in seconds with this lovely software.

Conclusion

Logos 7I was delighted to receive a pre-release copy of Logos 7 in exchange for an honest review. And I’m happy to say I heartily recommend it. If you take my warnings to heart, and don’t allow Logos to distract you too much from the text, this software will help you get more out of your Bible study, faster. And for a limited time, readers of this blog can get 10% off a base package (new Logos users only), along with a free commentary on James. Once you try Logos, I bet you, too, will end up among the choirs of Jerusalem, crooning “rightly do they love you” (Song 1:4).

Use this link or the coupon code KNOWABLE7 to get 10% off a Logos base package (new users only). Disclaimer: If you buy Logos with the code or links above, this blog will receive a commission. Thanks for supporting this work so we don’t have to neglect our own vineyards (Song 1:6).

Job: The Wisdom of the Cross

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Job Wisdom of the CrossSome commentaries trumpet their contemporary relevance; others excel at close observation or textual analysis. Few bring all these skills together, but Christopher Ash’s recent volume on Job is among their number. Weighing in at almost 450 pages of meaty exposition, this tome gives an intimidating first impression. But Job is a long book, and its 42 chapters each receive just over 10 pages of Ash’s attention. This fact makes Ash’s comments fly swiftly and land hard.

Readers of Job often wrestle with lofty questions about the suffering of innocents, the place of lament, and the problem of evil. Asked from a posture of comfort or philosophical whimsy, such questions are what Ash refers to as “armchair questions.” And he contends that the book of Job deals not with armchair questions but with wheelchair questions—those asked from a position of weakness, desperation, and even devastation. Ash walks through Job’s lengthy speeches with a painstaking interest that never gets tedious. He explains each character’s arguments, stanza by stanza, showing that though humanity’s concerns have changed, they have ever stayed the same. And he shows that Job’s suffering makes most sense as preparing the world for Jesus’ suffering. Because bad things happened to a good man, good things might just happen to bad people—we can be reconciled to God.

Crossway advertises the Preaching the Word series as being “by pastors for pastors,” but don’t let this tagline deceive you. Ash’s writing is straightforward and engaging enough to leave no layperson behind. I’ve read more than 50 commentaries over the years, and Ash’s is one of the very best.

It’s available for $30.15 at Amazon and $29.35 at Westminster Books.

Disclaimer: Amazon and Westminster links are affiliate links. If you click them and buy stuff, you’ll relieve a bit of our innocent suffering by sending a small commission our way at no extra cost to yourself.