Tips on How to Buy a Great Bible

How To Buy a Great Bible

Article By: Kevin Stern, DTS Book Center Director

Buying a new Bible is one of the toughest purchases most Christians make. It’s hard enough to find a translation you love. Then there are hundreds of decisions after that. Here are some questions to ask that should make the process easier.

Translation—2011 is the 400^th anniversary of the King James Version. It was easy then. Now, with more English translations available than at any time in history, where do you start? The first question to ask is how do I want to use the Bible? Will I be doing devotional reading or deep study? Is this a gift for a new believer or an old Bible study pro?

Bibles can be lined up on a continuum from translations that use a more word-for-word philosophy to Bibles that translate more thought-for-thought. The New American Standard’s word-for-word style makes it great for study, but with a twelfth-grade reading level, sometimes it can be hard to understand. The New Living Translation is much clearer English, but there are times I’d like to see it reflect more of the structure of the original languages. Most folks are doing a combination of things and are looking for a Bible in the middle of the spectrum like an NIV, ESV, or NET. If you’d like more help choosing a translation, you can talk with us in the Book Center or read How To Choose a Translation For All It’s Worth by Fee and Strauss.

Style—Once you’ve picked a translation, then ask yourself what special features you’d like to have in your new Bible. Is it going in a purse or on a desk? Do I want devotional helps or a plain text? Do I want study notes, maps, and a concordance? Or do I want a wide margin for my own notes? How big a font do I need? Some study Bibles could double as a coffee table, but I keep one in my briefcase that is really small and has a snap cover so the pages don’t get wrecked. The Bible I teach with is a large print, single-column, black letter because I think it’s easier to find my place when I look back and forth between it and my audience. No Bible is going to be able to have everything and still fit in your pocket. The key is to ask what features are important to you.

Binding—When you’ve found a Bible that has what you want, the last question to ask is what binding you’d like. Do I need a paperback, hardback, or leather? How much do I want to spend? Do I need it to lay flat? How long do I want it to last? The least expensive option is a paperback. If I’m giving Bibles away as part of an evangelism ministry, I want to be able to buy as many as I can with my budget. In college, I needed a hardback to have on campus—a big, black, leather Bible would not have communicated what I wanted at a Northern California university.

The newest bindings in Bibles are the synthetics in lots of colors and designs. Whether you’re looking for a sophisticated, two-color cover or a fun kid’s Bible, there are hundreds of options. These are a great option that replaces the old bonded leather binding. They’ll last about the same amount of time (5-10 years). Many of them are softer than the bonded, which are made from the scraps left over from the manufacture of genuine leather and never lose their stiffness.

If you’ve found a Bible you love and want to keep it for a long time or if you take notes in your Bible that you can’t bear to lose, buy genuine leather. Genuine leather will last much longer and the leather will become softer with use. Genuine Bibles usually cost $10 to $15 more than the synthetics or bondeds, but are worth the investment. Many publishers add lifetime warranties and sewn bindings to their genuine Bibles as well. Most genuine Bibles are made from cowskin or pigskin, but when people want the best, only calf or goat will do. Bibles made from calf, sheep or goat are as durable as genuine cow or pig leather, but will be much softer.

Bibles may be one of the hardest books to choose, but the reward in having or giving the right one is worth the research.

 

Book Review: Renewing Minds

Renewing Minds: Serving Church and Society Through Christian Higher Education
ISBN: 9780805447880
By: David Dockery
Broadman & Holman, 2007

Review By: Mike Meiser

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Just as the Renaissance of the 14^th to the 16^th centuries drew society and education out of the doldrums of dogmatism and blind fideistic assent, Renewing Minds represents a call for a present day Renaissance with a renewed and redeemed vision of higher education through the lens of a distinctively Christian perspective. The world is changing at a rapid pace. David Dockery maintains that in this increasingly changing and face-paced world, the Christian must seek to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. The role of Christian higher education is to help prepare students to do this very thing. Dockery wants to show the steps that the organizations of higher learning must take in order to make this a possibility.

One of the first ways in which Dockery develops his thesis is by showing that Christian theological foundations are not contradictory to honest intellectual inquiry. In fact, Dockery argues that proper theology is not just in harmony with the intellectual life, but is necessary for complete fulfillment in our intellectual pursuits. Theology serves as the foundation upon which the rest of our worldview is built. Some would argue that it is possible to separate faith from other pursuits; however, when we separate the theological from the ethical or the scientific, we lose a dynamic to our scholarly life that ought to be there. Dockery uses the discipline of scientific inquiry as an example of this in his book. When we do science with the understanding that God created this universe, it changes the way that we view the world and the conclusions which we draw from the interpretation of the available data. Now, this isn’t to say that our conclusions are made a priori, or before we actually observe our findings, but they do have a guiding influence. The fact of the matter is, no matter what you believe, i.e. belief in a sovereign God or a belief in a flying spaghetti monster, your beliefs always have an a priori affect upon your findings. Thus the importance of a strong theological foundation when practicing science.

In fact, the discipline of science exists upon the foundation that there is order in the world that can be observed and measured. It is hard to argue for this order without an understanding or explanation of how that order either came to be or continues to exist. This is the realm of inquiry that theology finds its home and science dare not tread.

Another aspect of Dockery’s development of his thesis is his stress of the importance for those in Christian higher education to shape a Christian worldview for their students. Everyone has a worldview, i.e. a lens through which they make sense of the world. It is important as Christian educators that we are helping students to view the world through a Christian lens. This development of worldview will have lasting repercussions as the student interprets his or her world through a properly Christian grid.

One of the biggest things that Dockery hopes to accomplish, specifically within the academy, is to reestablish a greater sense of unity within the Christian “uni”versity. He attempts to accomplish this task through the use of Christian theological foundations and Christian spiritual disciplines. One of the challenges that the academy must overcome is the disjointedness amongst the faculty caused by heightened levels of specialization and complexes of “lone rangerism” that rise from our individualistic culture as well as the tendencies that doctoral training instills. Dockery promotes certain ways in which administration can combat some of the individualism that can plague certain campuses. Through practices that Dockery refers to as “building blocks,” a Christian academy can overcome this individualism in their faculty through campus community building. These “building blocks” include Christian virtues like authentic love, peace, generosity, and grace.  It is an attempt to build a Christian community of learning that has one goal in mind; the renewing of the minds and lives of the students. The Christian academy needs men of both character and learnedness. It needs scholars who promote community and Christ-likeness while still maintaining academic prowess. If a man is an expert in the field of New Testament studies, but lacks good character, the Christian academy of higher education cannot and should not employ that person.

One of the truly positive things that Renewing Minds contributes is a strong apologetic for the importance of having a mature and reasoned faith. Most people are content with dogmatics, i.e. being told what to believe without thinking about it for oneself. Dockery’s emphasis on the pursuit of a reasoned faith is similar to another book written by J.P. Moreland called Love Your God with All Your Mind. A person with mature faith is able to not only tell you what they believe, but also give you the reasons why they believe it. They make it very clear that they have thought about the particular issue, whether it be theological, ethical, scientific, or political. Through learning and processing information, we are honoring God through the faculty of our intellect.

In light of the above positive aspect of this book, the most positive thing that Dockery contributes to our thinking about Christian higher education is his focus upon the importance of the renewal of minds. The goal of Christian higher education is much more than creating students who know a lot about random subjects. More importantly, it is about creating Christ followers who have been changed through interacting with the Bible and have been shown how to live lives that are pleasing and glorifying to God. It is about character formation rather than intellectual stimulation. It is a more holistic approach to higher education that most institutions sadly do not adopt. Only through this approach to education are we truly able to renew minds and “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” It is Dockery’s hope, and my hope, that we will hold out for better things from our schools of Christian learning.

I whole heartedly agree with this aspect of Dockery’s book. The most important aspect of Christian education is not the dissemination of information. As educators, we ought to be more concerned not with mere intellectual assent, but with renewed minds and developed character. My one critique of this book is that while Dockery casts a vision of Christian higher education, this book gives very little as far as a solid plan for how institutions of Christian learning can implement this vision to better enable themselves to train students not only for future vocations, but how to engage this world on behalf of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even with this deficiency, though, this book will serve all Christian educators, especially those in higher education, as a wonderful resource for casting vision on what needs to take place for schools to be in the business of renewing minds. It will be up to the individual school to come up with ways to implement this vision.

I cannot recommend the reading of this book high enough. For anyone who is interested in, or already involved in Christian higher education, this book is a must read. Really, it has much to say to any person who is interested more generally in Christian education. Our goal in teaching is to create people who love God and love their neighbors. This was the way that Christ taught, so it will hopefully be the way that we seek to teach as well.

 

Five Solas

Every year the Book Center at Dallas Theological Seminary celebrates Reformation Day. Camille Holland of the DTS Book Center dedicated 5 endcaps in our store to the 5 pillars of the Protestant Reformation. The design is reminiscent of antique architectural plans.

Due to the size of the text in the images, the descriptions found in each image have been included below.

Faith alone (Sola Fide)

Justification is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone. In justification Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us as the only possible satisfaction of God’s perfect justice. Our justification does not rest on any merit to be found in us, nor upon the grounds of an infusion of Christ’s righteousness in us, nor that an institution claiming to be a church that denies or condemns sola fide can be recognized as a legitimate church.

Grace alone (Sola Gratia)

In salvation we are rescued from God’s wrath by his grace alone. It is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that brings us to Christ by releasing us from our bondage to sin and raising us from spiritual death to spiritual life. It is denied that salvation is in any sense a human work. Human methods, techniques or strategies by themselves cannot accomplish this transformation. Faith is not produced by our unregenerated human nature.

Scripture alone (Sola Scriptura)

The inerrant Scripture (the Bible) is the sole source of written divine revelation, which alone can bind the conscience. The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for our salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior must be measured. It is denied that any creed, council or individual may bind a Christian’s conscience, that the Holy Spirit speaks independently of or contrary to what is set forth in the Bible, or that personal spiritual experience can ever be a vehicle of revelation.

Glory to God alone (Soli Deo Gloria)

It is affirmed that because salvation is of God and has been accomplished by God, it is for God’s glory and that we must glorify him always. We must live our entire lives before the face of God, under the authority of God and for his glory alone. It is denied that we can properly glorify God if our worship is confused with entertainment, if we neglect either Law or Gospel in our preaching, or if self-improvement, self-esteem or self- fulfillment are allowed to become alternatives to the gospel.

Christ alone (Solus Christus)

Our salvation is accomplished by the mediatorial work of the historical Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the Father. It is denied that the gospel is preached if Christ’s substitutionary work is not declared and faith in Christ and his work is not solicited.

 

Top 10 Things Students Need to Survive Seminary: #1

Art by: Camille Holland

 

Some Cool New Features from Accordance 9

For all of you Accordance users out there, Version 9.5 is now live. Find out all about the new features from Accordance 9.5 here.

 

Top 10 Things Students Need to Survive Seminary: #2

Art by: Camille Holland

 

Top 10 Things Students Need to Survive Seminary: #3

Art by: Camille Holland

 

St. John’s Bible Completed!

It has been announced in recent news that the renowned St. John’s Bible, an over-sized, illuminated, hand-written Bible, has finally been completed. It was a tireless work of 12 years completed by the Queen’s calligrapher, Donald Jackson, and his team of artists. An interview with Mr. Jackson that aired on the Today Show can be found here.

The DTS Book Center has the privilege of being one of three places in the state of Texas where you can purchase this masterpiece of Biblical artistry. The St. John’s Bible comes both bound in a multi-volume set as well as in individual leafs. You can survey all that is available at their website here.

The items available on their site are also able to be ordered at the DTS Book Center for 20% off the listed price. Join us in celebrating this amazing artistic achievement!

 

Top 10 Things Students Need to Survive Seminary: #4

Art by: Camille Holland

 

New Arrival: What’s in the Bible? Vol. 6

What’s in the Bible? Vol. 6: A Nation Divided
85302600228
Created by: Phil Vischer

Short Description by: Mike Meiser

The most recent installment from the incredible kids’ video series What’s in the Bible has just been released. This sixth DVD entitled A Nation Divided includes two 25 minute episodes that cover the contents of the Biblical books of Kings and Chronicles. The first episode entitled “The Big Split” discusses the events that lead to the splitting of Israel into two kingdoms, the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The kingdoms of Israel and Judah had a troubled history littered with unfaithful kings and unfaithful people. The story of the eventual destruction of these two unfaithful nations at the hands of the Assyrians and the Babylonians is content of the second video entitled “The End of Israel.” However, the DVD does not leave the viewer in a state of depression, but rather, it ends with a positive message from the prophet Isaiah during Israel’s darkest hour.

Check out What’s in the Bible? Vol. 6: A Nation Divided today at the DTS Book Center.

 

Book Review: Soul Virgins

Soul Virgins: Redefining Single Sexuality
9780801066009
By: Doug Rosenau and Michael Todd Wilson
Baker Books (2006)

Review By: Clifford Watkins

Taking the Human Sexuality course here at Dallas Theological Seminary opened my eyes to so much about the importance of understanding God’s purpose in creating us male and female. As human beings, our sexuality permeates our being. Our gender is the basis of our personality and no matter how we personally identify ourselves or how society views our actions, gender and sexuality are inherent within all of us and cannot be changed.

The book Soul Virgins, one of the required texts for the class, and co-authored by one of the class’s instructors Doug Rosenau, attempts to unravel the knot of human sexuality that God has so intricately woven into our existence. It also attempts to show how a proper understanding of God’s design for sexuality is key for developing healthy dating relationships.

Rosenau is a licensed psychologist and a marriage and family therapist who specializes in sex therapy. Unlike most books for singles that try to attack the issue of relationships and dating, Soul Virgins attempts to take more of a holistic approach by stating that the means to having a good relationship is based on having a healthy view of one’s sexuality. As do most books that deal with relationships, Rosenau and Wilson offer their own model for how dating should work. Rosenau and Wilson refer to what they call the ‘relationship continuum bridge,’ which moves from connecting to coupling and then on to covenanting which is a synonym for marriage. Connecting is described as the natural friendship stage that we share with same-sex as well as opposite-sex friends before pursuing an exclusive relationship. Next is coupling which is when two people of the opposite sex begin considering one another as possible mates for marriage and define their exclusive relationship. The rest of the stages along the bridge can be summed up by saying that the couple grows closer in connectedness as well as commitment (assuming that the relationship stays in tact and everything goes according to plan). During this deepening relationship they will begin to prayerfully and honestly consider marriage.

What sets this book apart from others is the overarching theme of “soul virginity.” According to the book, a “soul virgin” is a person who continually seeks to value, celebrate and protect God’s design for sexuality in oneself and in others. In other words, “soul virginity” is a matter of the heart which hinges on how people value sexuality. A “soul virgin” views sexuality as a gift from God. This premise keeps the concept of dating from becoming legalistic with a specific set of guidelines or rules. The authors dedicated a chapter of the book to this concept called “Law, Lovetouching and the Bikini Line.” In this chapter, they explain that other than obviously immoral behavior, it is up to the two people in each relationship to establish healthy boundaries based on where they are in their relationships with God and each other.

Rosenau and Wilson refer to the game that men and women play as ‘the dance of desire.’ They preach that sexuality should not be repressed but understood and demonstrated at correct levels throughout a person’s interaction with friends, family and significant others, always saving “true sex,” or intercourse, for marriage. They even present a new concept within the book called “righteous flirting.” According to the authors, righteous flirting involves giving innocent, yet focused attention for the purpose of relating and building up another person. In contrast, they described un-righteous flirting as giving compliments or interacting in a way that manipulates the other person in to responding in a way that brings you gratification, which is not meant for the betterment of the other person. Rosenau suggests that righteous flirting could even take place with family members of the opposite sex. Seeing that we are encouraged to view each other as brothers and sisters in Christ I can see the concept that Rosenau is trying to reinforce, but maybe he might want to abandon the idea of flirting altogether because of the negative connotation attached to it within the culture already; not to mention the fact that flirting between family members is just a little bit weird.

All in all, Rosenau and Wilson illustrate the differences between men and women in order to show how they work together to bring about God’s design for sexuality. They propose that healthy relationships are based on a proper balance of five key aspects: the spiritual, mental, emotional, social and physical. In the process of becoming a “soul virgin” everyone respects their own sexuality and the sexuality of others, which allows them to express their love for God by walking in love with others building healthy, mature relationships — romantic or not. Rosenau sums the concept of the book up when he says, “Regardless of where you are as a Christian single along the relationship continuum bridge, being content with where you are is key. Balanced intimacy and sexual wholeness will certainly help.”

 

Top 10 Things Students Need to Survive Seminary: #5

Art by: Camille Holland

 

Top 10 Things Students Need to Survive Seminary: #6

Art by: Camille Holland

 

Book Review: A Grief Observed

A Grief Observed
9780060652388
By: C.S. Lewis
Harper Collins

Review By: Cliff Watkins

Most know author Clive Staples Lewis for his Chronicles of Narnia series that has had great success on the big screen after being converted to a motion picture. Lewis has written more than 30 books including Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity, but amongst such great works, it is hard to believe that a man as accomplished and intelligent as Lewis would struggle with grief. One would definitely not expect the author of Mere Christianity, which has encouraged many in the faith —and even aided in the conversion of some —to falter in his faith or struggle with doubt. However, Lewis’ brutally honest reflection on the death of his wife, Joy Gresham, exposes readers to the fact that man is vulnerable and fragile when attempting to understand the goodness of God in the midst of extreme pain.

Lewis’ four-part reflection brings readers face to face with the cruel reality of the damage that sin has done to our world. His writing demonstrates utter despair as a result of acknowledging that death is a natural and unavoidable destiny for all. He writes expressing the sentiment that his wife was so beautiful and beloved that her death, though natural, was undeserved. Lewis compares the feeling of grief to fear stating that it gives him the same restlessness, yawning and fluttering of the stomach. It is not hard for the reader to recognize that Lewis feels that damage has been done to his world. He writes, “At other times it feels like being mildly drunk, or concussed. There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says. Or perhaps, to want to take it in. It is so unentertaining.”

In the midst of such detachment from the world around him, Lewis makes it clear that he is still very attached to God. “Not that I am (I think) in much danger of ceasing to believe in God. The real danger is of coming to believe such dreadful things about Him. The conclusion I dread is not ’So there is no God after all,’ but, ‘So this is what God is really like after all.’” Revealing statements like this permeate this book as C.S. Lewis doesn’t leave his love for God behind nor his incredible intellect, but allows himself to step away from pretense and wrestle with the issue at hand; his present grief and lack of understanding.

Throughout his discourse, Lewis never denies the fact that God exists, contrarily, he refuses to settle for the easy answer provided by those around him concerning acceptable display of his grief. “What grounds has it given me to doubt all that I believe? I knew already that these things, and worse happen daily. We were even told ’blessed are those that mourn,’ and I accepted it. Of course it is different when the thing happens to oneself, and not to others, and in reality, not in imagination.”  Lewis’ writings show similarity to Job in that he seems to recognize that God’s will can include acts which are meant to humble those who believe.

While Lewis paints a vivid picture of why he loved his wife Joy, throughout his reflection she remains a faint figure in the background while the author focuses on grief itself. A Grief Observed leaves readers with a real sense of the frailty of the human experience.  This writing serves as a meaningful reminder of the cycle of life in that it demonstrates that while lives will naturally end, life as well as love goes on. Conversations between Lewis and his wife were intimate displays of unity and dependence, but also convey that both of them understood that they would not be permitted to live in wedded bliss forever. Ultimately, this writing was a reflection on love and the grief that must be endured when a loved one passes away. It is also an observation of the perseverance of God’s love through turmoil and an illustration of how Lewis as a man overcame his grief with understanding that while his wife’s life ended, his relationship with God would not be damaged and could in fact, be strengthened.

The book of James warns us that our faith will be tested. In this wonderful work Lewis allows us to walk with him through the testing of his. He writes, “You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life or death to you. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong and sound as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But, suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn’t you then first discover how much you really trusted it?” In the end, Lewis learned to trust in God’s love and share his story of love and grief with others who may benefit from his experience.

 

Top 10 Things Students Need to Survive Seminary: #7

Art by: Camille Holland