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The Electronic Bible


irishman

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This past Sunday in church, I could not find the Book of Jonah, which was the reference that the preacher wanted us to turn to!  Now, I have studied the Bible for about 40 years, diligently, and (almost) daily, and I know the books of the bible very well, but my wife had to find Jonah for me.  I know that it is partly because of my condition, but I also attribute it to the electronic Bible on my computer.  I don't have to look up the book anymore with that, simply go quickly down a list and click it on!  Too easy.  I (should I say "we") need to get back to that "old black Book" and flip the pages again.  I miss doing that anyway.

 

I have 19 Bibles in my home (and not ONE of them is a MV.) and they simply decorate my bookcase.  I alternate them occasionally, but some I hardly ever use.  The thing is, it seems so different to relax in my chair (a "lazy boy) and read from the Bible, but I find that I enjoy it much more that way.  Something about tradition, I suppose. 

 

That incident at church has happened before, as the ammonia in my blood destroys brain cells, but I saw it coming anyway, and was just too lazy to get back to "Book learning", but not frequently, thank the Lord.  Anyway, I file a valid indictment against my electronic Bible, and charge it with robbing me of a special blessing by alluring me back to the ease and "quickness" it offers.  Maybe it is something for each of us to think about. 

 

Remember spreading the books out on the table, and flipping through the pages, and enjoying hours of time with the Word of God?  I do, and I miss it terribly.

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I only open my hardback Bible on occasion.

Most frequently, I am reading passages either on the PC, or on the iPad.  It is much easier for me electronically due to my visual challenge.  I am able to magnify the letters so they are easier to read.

Like you, I have several KJV Bibles and will glance through them now and then.  But even the largest print Bible I have (24 point) is hard on my eyes after only a few minutes of reading.

I'll stick with the electronic.

What do you suppose was the first reaction to the written Word?  Prior to men of God writing as moved by the Holy Ghost, communication of the Word was pretty much oral, was it not?  How do you suppose people reacted to the first written Bibles?

Change is inevitable after technology advances, I'm told.

Here is our ancestor's idea of googling...
library-card-catalogs.jpg

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I don't care for reading anything of length on a computer. My eyes don't care for it and for some reason I don't seem to get as much out of it. It's great to be able to quickly look up a verse or passage online sometimes but I mostly only do that for ease when I'm doing something online.

 

When it comes to my daily Bible reading, I have a Bible next to my chair in the living room. On the couch I sometimes read at in the afternoons I have another Bible. On weekends I often do my afternoon reading in my sons room because of the good lighting and I use his Bible which is on his beds headboard shelf. Even here in front of my computer I have a couple of devotionals, which I typically read from one in the morning and the other at night. I also have two Bibles next to my computer, the one I carry to church and the one I read from while sitting here. At my desk is another Bible which I use for study and my more "formal" prayer time. I also keep a large print New Testament with Psalms in my car that's great for reading anytime I have to wait somewhere and easy to use for witnessing.

 

Due to the growing popularity of electronic Bibles, many have dropped teaching and memorizing the books of the Bible and where to find them. This is similar to the reason some schools have stopped teaching cursive writing. In both cases, they say with electronic devices, such is no longer needed. Many younger folks couldn't find a particular Bible book or verse if handed a print Bible even if they have grown up in church.

 

Our church still has pew Bibles, but I know many churches today either no longer have pew Bibles or they have very old ones which will not be replaced. This is due to the use of multimedia, which most churches today use, where they show the Bible verses on a screen, and the popularity of electronic Bibles.

 

We have some people in our church that use electronic Bibles, and it's not just the young folks.

 

Electronic Bibles can be great but I don't think we should neglect at least the occasional use of print Bibles and the teaching of how to use them.

 

For myself, I'm sticking primarily to print Bible in hand.

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As I preach I have noticed more and more people using tablets and phone to follow Bible passages. I have no problem with it. When the book binding came along do you think certain people said, "No way, I'll stick with the scroll"? I do not know, just thinking out-loud. There are many distractions with phones and tablets, but I have not really noticed that too much of that in churches as I preach. Those same people used to daydream anyways before they switched to their phone.

 

Of course when I am preaching and someone says amen out of place, I'll comment that someone just scored a touchdown. :)

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May I suggest putting your extra copies of the KJV Bibles at back of church for visitors to use if they attend and don't bring one? At my local thrift shop religious books are free and whenever there's a KJV I put it at the back of the church for visitors. We have a big stack now!

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I use nearly all my Bibles, except for a few.  When I was a young Christian I bought my wife and I the New Scofield Bible, but soon learned that the KJV was not always used there, especially in the notes.  I have mine all marked up anyway, and can hardly read some of it now, so I don't use it much at all, and never at church.

 

I forgot to mention that I also have a New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs, and so does my wife.  It fits well in the inside pocket of suit and sport coats.  It is excellent for soul winning.

 

Anyway, I just wondered if falling in love that "old black Book" was common, or if I was just sentimental, but it doesn't matter, I feel like going back to my bound Bible since I don't have an expensive cell phone or those other electronic gadgets to carry with me. (don't even know how to send a text message, and don't care!)

 

Oh, I also have a Franklin electronic Bible, it's as old as Methuselah, but still works if I can remember how to use it.  It was quite popular when they first came out.

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I love using books over electronic anything, the Bible included.  I know it's new technology, and I do want to get an eReader - I think it'll be nice to carry in my purse rather than a big book.  Although I will still carry my New Testament as well.

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I've got a Franklin electronic Bible but never cared for it.

 

I do all my Bible reading on my computer, much easier for me, I highly dislike setting reading a book since all my neck troubles & surgeries.

 

Plus the search feature on the computer bible is so much better.

 

I carry my old 'Black Book' to church!

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I'm with you Marty and did the same thing last month too!  I read too much on the computer lately and am determined to read from my old black book all the time again.  There's no substitute for holding His Word in my hands!  I get far more out of reading the book then reading from a computer screen.

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The Bible on a mobile electronic device is just as much God's Word as it is in between the covers of a book. It is God's Word no matter what format it is in; written or spoken

Now, if I should run across a mistake while reading the electronic format, then I email the author/publisher. I have done this in the past.

I once had a KJV in book format that was missing the book of Obadiah.

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The Bible on a mobile electronic device is just as much God's Word as it is in between the covers of a book. It is God's Word no matter what format it is in; written or spoken

Now, if I should run across a mistake while reading the electronic format, then I email the author/publisher. I have done this in the past.

I once had a KJV in book format that was missing the book of Obadiah.

Much of this is a matter of preference. Some find reading from a computer or electronic devise easier while others find reading from an actual book to be easier.

 

Myself, I'm unable to comfortable read long readings on the computer. It's uncomfortable and my eyes don't like it at all. That makes for distractions and I get far less from reading the Word on a computer than I do from reading my print Bible.

 

I don't have any mobile devises but there are some in our church who use them. They like them and find them to be very convenient. So far, the ones I've seen would be difficult for me to read as the print is small and because of the screen lighting.

 

I'm thankful we have so many options for reading the Word in this country and also saddened that in the most Bible saturated nation we have a population that is extremely biblically illiterate.

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It is one of those things that whatever works best for you. If you get more out of reading a book, then absolutely use the book. If you get more out of reading the Bible on a tablet, then use the tablet. The important thing is that you are reading Gods word, the KJV. Unless you do not know English, then the KJV will do you no good. 

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