For Christmas I got the new C.S. Lewis Bible. It lives on my treadmill and I read it while I walk. Totally love it. (If you've read chapter 3 of It's No Secret that probably doesn't surprise you at all.)
I have another smaller Bible that lives in my car, for when I'm stuck in carpool line or waiting for a kid's practice to end. I probably own more than any one person really needs. But for about a decade now I've had one main study Bible. It's HUGE. I went all out and bought the leather, large print edition with the maps, study notes and built-in book tabs.
I've underlined in it. Written in the margins, and even drew a couple pictures in there of images God showed me in my prayer times. When you have that kind of history with God bound inside a Bible, you don't change main Bibles easily.
But it is now falling apart. Literally ... 79 pages have fallen completely out of the binding. I think it's due to the fact that the large print makes the book verrry long and large. 2,779 are a lot of pages to keep bound. So I'm admitting I need a new main study Bible. And I thought I'd seek your input.
PS. SHERRY, girl, you won the Valentines' giveaway! But I don't have any contact info for you. Email me!
I just got a new Bible back in September for my birthday. It is an NIV, Quest Study Bible. I love it! It has articles and side margin notes explaining key Bible verses, and a massive index referencing anything I would ever need to know. since I am still a new believer (only 4 years) I need all the help I can get. The one I really wanted had a soft olive green suede cover but the print was too small for me to read, so I settled on a pretty burgundy leather bound one, that I could see the words to read.
ReplyDeleteKandi, a soft suede cover would tempt me too. But like you, I'd go for the bigger, easier to read font size.
ReplyDeleteMy current falling apart one is burgundy too. Thanks for telling me about the NIV Quest.
I, too, have a Bible fetish. Now I know I'm not the only one - thank goodness! Do we need a Bibles Anonymous Group? "Hi, my name is Carol and I own 17 versions of the same book!" :-) I think part of me looks for the perfect one that I'll open more often. That's a not-so-good excuse on my part for not reading my Bible like I should. But I also like to see how different translations emphasize things. They also come in handy when a Bible study author uses one particular version so I'm seeing it from the author's point of view. I like my Life Application versions the best - either NIV or NLT.
ReplyDeleteCarol, you cracked me up with this:
ReplyDelete"Hi, my name is Carol and I own 17 versions of the same book!" :-)
And I totally track with you saying you tend to hope each new one will be the one that sparks your desire to read more scripture. I suspect that's a common hope.
I am like Carol. I'm not sure how many copies I have of the same Book. Right now my favorite is my New Living Translation - Life Application Study Bible. I am reading my NASB John MacArthur Study Bible through this year. I am also enjoying it. I read the ESV Study Bible last year. I didn't and won't get all the study notes read in these 2 study Bibles. I have learned so much by reading several translations through during a year. Good luck with your search.
ReplyDeleteI just remember the one I have on my wish list. It is a new one from Tyndale. It is called IN HIS IMAGE DEVOTIONAL BIBLE the NLT translation. This Bible is beautiful. It has the names of Jesus on the cover with lots of info about Jesus throughout the Bible plus wonderful devotions.
Love getting a new Bible! Am so tempted at the moment to buy a chronological one, am trying to spend less and so am trying to be content with a year long read chronologically through the Bible in one year print out. I have also been tempted to buy a NET Bible - have liked the translation which is free online, but haven't actually bought their version (having so many other Bibles residing in my house) I mostly use the Woman's Study Bible and like it a lot - has study notes, and lots of other resources though I feel their is not always as much room for note taking of my own and the pages are maybe a little thin so some of the highlighters/pens I use bleed through... can't speak to the feel of softcover as the one I have is hardcover. I also have a hard time throwing away Bibles - I still have the first one I received from my grandma and huge chunks are falling out but can't seem to part with it. Probably because it was a gift from grandma and partly because of all the notes, highlighting and other things I added. I hope you find a Bible that blesses you in your studies!
ReplyDeleteAngela
Angela - I've been using the online NET Bible for awhile now. That's one of the ones I've been considering getting.
ReplyDeleteJagette - I'll check out the In His Image devo Bible. Hadn't heard of that one. Like you, I like to read through a new translation every couple of years. Only downside to that is I never remember which version I memorized which verse in.
Thanks for all this good input, girls!
I rationalize my Bible collecting as the #1 most holy collection (besides miracles)anyone could have or desire and it's not $$$. I have found my Bibles at garage sales, cbd.com, my local Half-price bookstore, and great coupons at Christian bookstores. I have never paid full value.
ReplyDeleteI have about 30. Plus all of my parents. I have several for church with special covers, special ones for Bible studies, and I love to give some away to new seekers. My favorites are the Life Application. I am now reading the Quest along with the Chron. Study with Wendy Pope. For Bible study I have the Essential Evangelical Parallel Bible with NKJV, ESV, NLT and The Message from cbd.com. If I don't understand something in one version, I'm bound to find one that speaks to me. Print size, boldness of print for easy readability are important to me. If it comes only in hardcover, I just get a cover. I like to keep my Bibles pristine. My advice is to camp out and open them all and compare everything that is important to you. Jane
I have had my Bible for 16 years now and I love, love, love it!! I am very sad, because it, like yours, is beginning to fall apart. I have written all over it as has my teenage daughter when she was a baby. Which made me kind of annoyed until my dear friend reminded me she is just trying to copy her mother....aahhh....=) So I now look lovingly at the colorful scribbles. Anyways, I digress, my Bible is an International Inductive Study Bible. An American Standard Bible version. It has great big margins to make notes, or draw pictures...=) Mine is a hardback, but I have seen it in leather. I was glad to hear that there are so many other ladies with this same fetish, but what an awesome fetish to have huh? God bless.
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI know you will find a great new study bible but I want to comment on the old bibles that has been so much a part of the thread of our lives.....I have an old living bible that has followed me or should I say " I have tried to follw it" for 20 years plus....I have the John MacArthur study bible which I use and love but my old Living Bible is totally filled with underlining, prayer thoughts for others and myself,dated as a reminder of God's faithfulness and years of "my life in Christ"....my heart for this old bible is this...and others may have the same heart....what happens to this my sweet journey Bble when something happens to me ( meaning when I go home to the Lord )....I don't have children...just 2 golden retreviers who can't read....it is funny and serious at the same time....where do these jewels end up ? someone needs to start a library...like the ex presidents do...for future girls and women to see the journey, the heart and the love of Our Faithful God thru our old written in and marked up Bibles...
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI know you will find a great new study bible but I want to comment on the old bibles that has been so much a part of the thread of our lives.....I have an old living bible that has followed me or should I say " I have tried to follw it" for 20 years plus....I have the John MacArthur study bible which I use and love but my old Living Bible is totally filled with underlining, prayer thoughts for others and myself,dated as a reminder of God's faithfulness and years of "my life in Christ"....my heart for this old bible is this...and others may have the same heart....what happens to this my sweet journey Bble when something happens to me ( meaning when I go home to the Lord )....I don't have children...just 2 golden retreviers who can't read....it is funny and serious at the same time....where do these jewels end up ? someone needs to start a library...like the ex presidents do...for future girls and women to see the journey, the heart and the love of Our Faithful God thru our old written in and marked up Bibles...
Hello, my name is Kelly and I own 6 bibles. I know this may not seem like much to some but in December 2010 I owned 1 bible that I had since I was a little kid and I had never opened it. My new years resolution which shocked most everyone that knows me was to read the bible chronologically. Since I'm also a book addict I now own 5 additional bibles. I have never had a bible passed down to me from family although that would be amazing. I love old, used books! Anyway, I am currently reading the Chronological Study Bible NKJV which I love. I also really like the Archaeological Bible as well. Good Luck with your quest to find a new bible. I have been told by my husband that my bible purchasing needs to stop. He said "I will probably get in trouble from God for this but seriously Kelly, you can't buy every bible out there. You need to commit to one at actually read it first." He's probably right. Being a newbie to the bible I should probably actually read it once first.
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI love my Macarthur Study Bible NKJV. There are several cover textures available. These are all soft bound: a two toned suede-comes in 2 versions of the two tones with gold and or silver lined pages and lots of maps and other "help" in them , there is the textured leather available in black and burgandy with gold lined pages , there is a smoother leather version and then there is the hard back version. He also has a newer translation, I think it is ESV which I don't know anything about. All of his NKJV Study Bibles are phenomenol. Love the study notes. I am on the 2nd one of the same Book.
I hope this helps in your quest if it isn't too late already.