The Trouble with Electronic Bibles

Julie and I were gone last week celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary on a train ride in Canada. I always take my New Testament with me when we go on trips and was studying out of it on the plane when the stewardess came by and commented… that’s a well-used Bible. You see I make a lot of notes in my Bible… I mean like a lot of notes and I guess that’s what she saw. Julie puts Parkway Church of Christ business cards in my wallet because I’m always talking to people and asking her for a card. So I got one of those cards that she gave me and wrote down my website information… “Uncle Rob’s Blog” and told the stewardess that I write religious articles. She seemed very appreciative.

Let me make a case for having a Bible book instead of the Bible on an electronic device. If I had been using an electronic device she probably would not have recognized it as a Bible and certainly would have not recognized that it was “well used” because it would not have any notes in it and I therefore would not have had the opportunity to share “Christ” with her.

Also when I’m in a Bible study with someone I want them to see a Bible and see that not only can I navigate through it effortlessly but also see from my notes that I have put time into study and am not wasting their time. I hope they can see that I’m just a “regular Joe” just like them with a regular profession who chose to be a dedicated Bible student.

I just got through teaching the High School/Young Adult class. Most of those kids don’t bring Bibles to class. They have their cell phones in their hands presumably reading the Bible from it. Here’s the thing… most of them aren’t. They are texting and giggling and showing each other things. The next time I teach that class (with the parents approval) I’m going to insist that they have a Bible in their hands and if they don’t have one I’ll buy them one.