Should You Be Using Bible Software?

Written by LaRosa Johnson
Thursday, August 20, 2009

I’m going to make a very simple statement, and then I’m going to back it up. If you’re a Christian and you own a computer, then you should be using Bible software. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a new convert to Christianity or a seminary graduate who is pasturing a church; if you own a computer, this is something that you should have installed on there. It’s a belief that I firmly hold to, and I want to outline a few simple reasons why you should consider using Bible software on a regular basis.

Before we start, I want to clarify and explain exactly what Bible software is.

What is Bible Software?

Bible software is an application that you install locally on your computer, either by Internet download or CD/DVD. Unlike a website like BibleGateway, you don’t have to be connected to the Internet to use the program, and you can do a lot more than read the Bible and search for Bible verses or the occasional commentary. Bible software is much more powerful and can put an entire theological library at your finger tips for in-depth study. The features vary from program to program, but all of them are equipped to assist you in interacting with the text of the Bible and allowing you to find what you need.

Bible software has been around since the 80’s and has evolved drastically since that time. Today, it’s a perfect resource for laypersons and scholars alike to study the Bible.

Reason #1: It’s Easy

First and foremost, Bible software is extremely easy to use. For most computer users, they can go online and download the software or purchase it at their local Christian bookstore and get their feet wet using the program almost immediately. Some users may have to watch a tutorial or two, but if you’ve ever studied with a print Bible, then you’ll be able to quickly get acclimated to any Bible study software package and get started without a hitch.

Most Bible software companies have the everyday Christian in mind when they design their software, so they work extremely hard to make sure that their software is easy to use and understand without having to have a master’s degree from seminary or a computer programming certification. If you take your average Bible study program, you’ll likely find recognizable icons that will help you get started with at least opening a Bible and some of the basics of the program. Most people will be surprised at how easy it is to navigate through the software and find what they’re looking for with little or no effort at all.

Usability aside, Bible software makes it extremely easy to find what you’re looking for. If you can’t remember those verses that talk about “hope,” the software can find it all very easily for you. Can’t remember that verse? Just type in a few words and it’ll instantly bring back search results with what you were looking for. The possibilities and scenarios are endless!

Reason #2: It’s Fun

Yes, Bible study software can be fun! One thing that makes it fun is that it’s so easy to use. Once you learn how to use Bible software, studying the Bible literally becomes fun. It becomes enjoyable to search out the meaning of a verse that you don’t quite understand and fun to prepare a lesson for your Sunday school class. Think about all of the wonderful discoveries you’ll make as you begin searching through the Scriptures and finding out what different Bible scholars have to say on passages of Scripture or a particular topic.

It becomes easy and fun to trace all of the related cross references and go in to deeper study as you find a topic of interest. Really, the sky is the limit and you can adapt the software for however you like to study. It doesn’t matter whether you like word studies, topical studies, expository teaching, or whatever; Bible software can help and you can have a good time doing it.

Reason #3: It’s Efficient

For anyone that has ever tried studying the Bible with print books, you know that it’s a very time consuming process. You have your Bible open to your main passage, with your notebook handy ready to take notes. Then you open up your commentaries and flip through them trying to find the pages that reference your passage. Then you’re trying to find out more information about a particular item, so you’re opening up your Bible dictionary, or turning to another commentary. Before long, you end up with a desk full of books that take you forever to find what you’re looking for, if the book even contains what you need.

Bible software makes this so much more manageable and efficient. Need to know if your commentaries have any information on your verse? Most times you can simply open up your reference work and it’ll open right where you need it to be; or, a search will show you exactly where you can find what you’re looking for. There’s no guess work involved, and you don’t have to worry about endlessly flipping through pages to find what you need. So, not only does it make things easier to find, but it actually allows you to increase your productivity in study. No longer are you wasting time looking up information, but now you’re actually spending the bulk of your time studying the material. This also means that you can spend less time studying, while still having the same level of quality that you would have had spending hours in print volumes.

In this day & age of fast-paced living, time is a premium, and Bible software is one major way in which a student of the Bible can redeem the time and work smarter instead of harder. Plus, you don’t have to worry about filling up bookshelves or storing books when it comes to the software because it’s all stored on your computer.

Reason #4: It’s Cost Effective

One of the major benefits of Bible software is that it’s cost effective. If you compare some of the packages that Bible software companies put together with their print counterparts, you can very easily find yourself saving thousands of dollars by purchasing the software as opposed to buying them in print. An example of this is WORDsearch’s Preaching Library which has a retail value of $499.95; if you were to buy all of the books that are contained in that package, you could very easily spend over $5,000 to own the physical copies of those books. Another example is Logos’ Scholar’s Library: Gold package; it contains over 700 volumes and has a retail value of $1,379.95. If you were to purchase all of those books, you would find yourself spending nearly $12,000 to equal what you have in the software. If you do the math, that’s nearly a 90% savings if you purchase the software!

With the economy the way it is, it would be foolish to spend those extra thousands of dollars for the print volumes. God wants us to be good stewards of our money, and Bible software is a good way to do that if you’re a person who likes to study and spend money on Christian and theological works. But, not only is it cost effective, but there are plenty of added benefits to owning a book electronically, such as ease of searching, copying & pasting, and so much more.

Reason #5: It Grows with You

The last item I want to give as a reason for owning Bible software is the fact that it will grow with you. Bible software companies are always releasing new titles and expanding their library, which means that you will always have the best works available to you. So, if you spend the money to buy the software today, you’re not just stuck with what you’ve purchased. You can continue to add to and build your digital library, in much the same way that you would purchase print volumes to add to your collection.

Not only does it grow with you, but it also moves with you. If you buy a new computer, it’s easy enough to transfer your software to the new computer and get up and running. Plus, most of these companies will allow you to install it on two or three computers, so you can easily have access to it at the office or at home.

Another added benefit is that Bible software companies are constantly working to improve their product. They will provide avenues for upgrading to new versions of the software for free or for a small fee, and all of your purchased books will transfer with you to the new program. How great is that? You never have to worry about losing books because they’ll always be a part of your library.

Purchasing Bible Software

Now that you know the reasons for purchasing Bible software, I want to offer a few recommendations. And trust me, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a Windows, Mac, or Linux person; there’s Bible software out there for you. So, here are a few that I recommend:

These are just a few that I recommend, but if you find something else you like, then feel free to use it. It’s all a matter of what’s going to work best for you. A couple of factors to keep in mind when purchasing software are: 1) ease of use, 2) ability to expand & add new books, 3) price, and 4) customer support.

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