Monday, March 10, 2008

a black Bible

Recently I bought a new bonded leather TNIV Reference Bible. It's bigger than what I'm used to carrying around, and I'll have to make sure it's used well, before the next revision of the TNIV occurs. I used to steer away from black Bibles, but black was all that's offered, so black it is. Just like my shaven head, black is also something people seem more used to.

I like the cross references, and especially the topical ties at the bottom of the pages. And the single column and black letters (no red letters); I like all of that. But for me the best study of Scripture is to keep reading it, all of it. If anything, I'll have to get used to all the clutter of small letters beside words. My other TNIV's (medium and small sized) which contain the plan for reading through the Bible, will continue to be my main reading Bibles, I think. This may become my main teaching and preaching Bible, and study Bible.

I also like what Billy Graham once said, something like, "The best Bible is the one you use." In other words, we need to be in the word of God, doing so as those who want to hear from God so that we can walk by grace in the way of Jesus.

Would anyone like to share what your main Bible is, including the color, and why you think it's a good edition of it?

7 comments:

Halfmom, AKA, Susan said...

I like the Billy Graham quote!

My problem is that I'm kind of hard on Bibles, or at least their covers. So every few years I get a new one.

This time I chose a small ESV that I could carry around outside the house but continue to use my well worn (read that front cover has become detached and I need to have it recovered) NASB for serious study.

So now, I am reading through the ESV - my personal "rule" for each new Bible I get - it must be read cover to cover at least once. It's ok, and a great size to carry about for church or BSF, but I surely miss my loved NASB, despite the weight.

Ted M. Gossard said...

ESV is a good translation. And nice to have the small one to carry around. I still like my small TNIV; my eyes had to get adjusted to it.

But yes, the NASB is a good more word for word translation from the original, though don't get me going on that. But it's a good translation, too.

We're spoiled. I could live with any number of translations as my one, if I had to. I like trying to be as literal as possible in good language for the receptor. Just like a translator translating to an English crowd, say from German. I would like to get the sense of what they're saying.

I have had too many Bibles to wear out, though some do seem to fall apart one way or the other.

Good to hear you're good at wearing yours out. Keep it up. And BSF sounds great; I know another lady who has an infectious enthusiasm for BSF.

Ted M. Gossard said...

I shouldn't say, Keep it up, because I know you will!

The Walk said...

My church encourages people to take the pew Bibles if they need a new Bible. I love that!

I also tend to be very rough on Bibles, so the thin, flimsy pages in so many Bibles doesn't work as well. The cheap, sturdy kind works a lot better for me.

Ted M. Gossard said...

The Walk,

I've bought the cheaper kind and sometimes found them sturdier, sometimes not. I hear you. It is nice to have one Bible everyone can read from; one of the downsides of having so many different translations people use today.

Rachel Mc said...

When I was 16 I bought my first bible, and it is hard cover, maroon. It is the Today's English Version translation. I bought it 30 years ago and around 1993 I lost track of it. When I joined my new church in 2005 they gave me a hard cover maroon New International Version. I found my first one about 4 months ago (in a box in the attic) and it is funny that passages I underlined so long ago I have underlined in the new one. Presently I am reading The Message - New Testament and I really am enjoying it and underlining a lot.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Rachel, All good translations and the Message a great rendering of Scripture. I've been reading the Message alot lately, as well, and love the introductions to the books, as well.

And maroon is either the color or close to the color of my two tone TNIV small Bible, and of my small NIV Bible, now in retirement since I no longer use that translation.

I'm not that concerned about the color of my Bible but just found it a bit striking that the only edition they've made available of this, is black. I used to avoid black Bibles, but now it doesn't seem to bother me.

Keep underlining. (If I started doing that I'd be underlining way too much, which is alright. I tend not to write in my Bibles at all, but maybe someday I'll get a wide margin Bible and do that.