Awesome iPhone Bible Apps

The recent passing of Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs feels personal to me.  From my first computer, a Mac Classic II, to the MacBook Pro I'm presently pecking at, I've always preferred Apple technology to its competitors.  Jobs' philosophy of reliability and intuitive interface has always made these products a pleasure to use.

Having recently purchased an iPhone, I want to share which Bible apps most reflect this philosophy in my opinion.  First, all of these are great apps.  You'll have an awesome take-anywhere Bible no matter your choice.  Second, this review is based on my own experience with the apps.  I recommend researching each app personally before settling on the best one for you.  All the mentioned apps currently come in free versions.


1.  Accordance

 Accordance tops my list because it's been my techno-study Bible since about 1995.  Over the years I've accumulated dozens of Accordance Bible translations, commentaries and dictionaries, almost all of which can be downloaded to my iPhone via a "Sync with Mobile Device" feature found on the desktop version.  The iPhone/iPad app is free and includes a copy of the English Standard Version linked to Strongs Hebrew and Greek numbers.


Getting around on this app is fairly easy and just about any module you can imagine for Scripture study can be added at extra cost.  Accordance is a powerful program and was even used in the translation of the HCSB.  The iOS version makes a great smaller sibling of the original!

Go to the Accordance iOS page for more info.





2.  YouVersion

 Within a few seconds of downloading YouVerion, I was reading a passage and listening to Max McLean narrate it from The Listener's Bible, all without paying anything for the app!   This web 2.0 based app has revolutionized Bible study.  YouVersion is available on several devices including a java version, making it accessible to more people.  As of April 2011, YouVersion users had read the Bible for a total of over 5 billion minutes!

Personally, I like to have at least my favorite version stored on my phone.  Maybe it's a residual fear from my days with the Palm Treo, and inconsistent internet connections, but I want to know, come internet or not, I can access the Word!  Modules can be purchased and downloaded.  But as long as you have decent connection YouVersion is a free full featured offering.  Reading the Bible, studying the Bible, even listening to the Bible are all at your fingertips.  Their website version is great too.

Go to the YouVersion about page for more info.




3.  Glo Bible

 

USA Today ranked Glo Bible as number 1 in it's September 6, 2011 post, The 10 coolest book apps for fall.  Even in the digital age the Bible is still a best-seller!  To get the full effect of this app's awesomeness you probably need to have an iPad and shell out 50 bucks for the full version.  However, Glo Lite, the free version, looks pretty good on iPhone and includes the updated NIV text at no cost to the user - This alone makes it worth the download time!

Glo Bible and YouVersion have partnered so that you can access many YouVersion features through Glo Bible!  Glo also includes many media goodies, such as picture and video.  Reading on this app reminds me of the Kindle format with pages moving side-to-side, rather than scrolling down.

Go to the Glo Bible Features Page to find out more.




4.  Olive Tree BibleReader

I just downloaded about 1,200 sermons by John Piper for BibleReader.  I can open a second screen below a sermon that shows the particular Scripture being referenced in the sermon.  The highlighting and search functions on this app are pretty cool.  On the down side adding modules for this app can get expensive fast.  For example, the NIV module is $18.99 for just the Bible text.  For a dollar more I can get the recently updated NIV Study Bible for Kindle.  I like the look of this app's full screen mode.  BibleReader also has a free version of the HCSB, but missing the publisher's notes.

Go to the BibleReader Info Page to find out more.




5.  PocketBible by Laridian

 I was able to log into my old Laridian account from my Palm Tungsten T days and access many of the modules I paid for back then.  Laridian allows downloading these to their iPhone app.  The Bible app they were known for on the Palm platform was MyBible.  This was hands down my favorite Bible for Palm!  I also memorized dozens of Bible verses using their Memorize! app.

My mention of this app is mainly sentimental.  Although the iPhone app does recall the clean format of those earlier days.

Go to PocketBible to check them out.




6.  Kindle as a Bible Reader

 Don't forget everyone's favorite e-reader!  I use a Kindle everyday of my life, and I love it!  With Kindle's upcoming fall lineup of Kindle Touch and Kindle Fire, navigating God's Word can be anything from less taxing on the eyes to more colorful, depending on what device you choose.

Kindle offers both ESV and NIV Study Bibles, as well as several other translations, commentaries and thousands of inspirational books.  The Kindle app looks great on the iPhone, and you can carry your Kindle content on several devices, including your desktop computer and web browser.

Conclusion
Which one do I use?  All of them!
* Accordance comes with the free ESVi and my purchased stuff!
* YouVersion quickly gets me to free audio Bibles.
* Glo Bible comes with Free NIV2011.
* BibleReader has a free version of HCSB.
* PocketBible gets me to some of my previously purchased modules.
* Kindle is a book collection, the size of a small book!

The important thing is to read the Bible, believe it, do it, and let God transform you with it!

Older Than King James

All my recent research into Bible translation reminded me of one of my favorite versions of Psalm 23. This is from the Miles Coverdale Bible, published in 1535 - that's over 75 years before the KJV hit the shelves in 1611. You can see some of this Psalm in the KJV, but it has it's own style. If this had been the first version of the 23rd Psalm for me, I wouldn't have been so confused as to why he doesn't want the Lord to be his Shepherd - "I shall not want?!?"

One of the most beautiful musical settings of this Psalm, in my opinion, is John Rutter's from the Requiem which premiered in 1985. So, enjoy a Psalm older than the King James Bible:

Psalm 23

Dominus regit me.

THE LORD is my shepherd; *

therefore can I lack nothing.

2 He shall feed me in a green pasture, *

and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.

3 He shall convert my soul, *

and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness for his Name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; *

for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.

5 Thou shalt prepare a table before me in the presence of them that trouble me; *

thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.

6 Surely thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; *

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Favorite Bible Version: And The Winner Is...

"...we affirm and avow, that the very meanest [poorest] translation of the Bible in English, set forth by men of our profession, containeth the word of God, nay, is the word of God. As the King's speech, which he uttereth in Parliament, being translated into French, Dutch, Italian, and Latin, is still the King's speech, though it be not interpreted by every Translator with the like grace, nor peradventure so fitly for phrase, nor so expressly for sense, everywhere." -From the preface, "The Translators to the Reader," to the King James Version of the Holy Bible, 1611.

This year marks 400 years since the King James Version was first published. The KJV translators never claimed exclusivity for their version of the Bible. They allowed for other translations to be published in English and considered them the Word of God as well. They also understood the importance of, when faced with the uncertainty of which of two possible Greek phrases would have been in the original text, including both by way of marginal notes. The 1611 KJV even has "daystar" as an alternate for "Lucifer" in the margin beside Isaiah 14:21. I mention this because King James Only advocates usually slam modern translations for this very same footnote (See, Matthew 7:1-2)!

Recently I was at risk of viewing a modern Bible version with KJV-like exclusive reverence. Over six months ago my world was shaken to the core with the announcement of a revision of the NIV, the version I've read, meditated upon and memorized for over 25 years. I clung as tightly to my NIV1984 as a KJV-only dude, to his Textus Receptus! As usual, those things that make us the most uncomfortable, often have the potential to grow us up a little bit as well.

Some of the positive affects of this announcement have been renewed desire to handle God's Word accurately, more time spent reading and analysing the different English versions of the Bible, and a new appreciation for variety in translation. I've gotten new insight from this study in the Word, and can't easily go back to claiming one version as favorite.

Another benefit to the updated NIV has been the discounted NIV1984 pew Bibles our church was able to pick up recently for about a third of the regular cost! Statistically, churches sporting pew Bibles have members who are more likely to bring their own Bibles to church (power of suggestion?), as well as study and read their own Bibles during the week! But maybe a pew Bible sales rep told me that...

I would encourage anyone who's serious about listening to the Word of God, to choose one favorite, or one standard version for personal study and application. This makes scripture memorization more affective. But you also need to explore translations other than the one with which you are most comfortable. Something as simple as knowing that the peace of God transcends all understanding (NIV), surpasses all comprehension (NASB) can give a depth of insight to the peace of God.

So what are my current recommended bible versions? I don't actually have a Top Ten list, such as this guy, but I recommend studying versions that complement one another. For example, if you are used to a more "word-for-word" translation (NASB, ESV, KJV), supplement that with a "thought-for-thought" version (NLT, CEV, The Message). The NIV is somewhere in the middle. So far, my favorite Word-for-Word is NASB - one I used to check into in my 20's. Some say this version is so literal, that it doesn't flow in English. "Wooden," is the description I most often hear for the NASB. I'm also checking out the NLT on the other end - I've also often referenced the CEV when needing a very simple, basic English Bible.

The Challenge

As we enter summer I'm actually encouraging the brothers and sisters at Lighthouse Christian Center to pick up a version they've never, or rarely read, and go through the New Testament and/or Psalms this summer - or as much of Scripture as they can while still retaining something from it.

What am I doing about the NIV1984 versus NIV2011 thing? I've found some great changes in the New NIV that seem to be more literal renderings of the text. Another plus for the NIV2011 is research and discoveries over the past 25 years. For example, Philippians 2:6 in NIV1984 describes Jesus: ...Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped...

Scholars have discovered that this "grasping," is related to something you already own, something already in your possession, rather than something you're trying to acquire. In the case of Jesus, he already possesses equality with God, but did not consider it as something to be used to his own advantage - which is how the NIV2011 translates it. Kudos, NIV guys!

On the down side Philippians 4:13 has been translated, "I can do all this through him who gives me strength," as if to say it refers only to the previous verses in context. I believe it refers to much more than learning to be content with your situation. He meant what he said, when he said, "All Things!"

* I'm glad they waited until Tim Tebow graduated from UF to revise this verse!

* I'm glad they waited until Bethany Hamilton got back on her surfboard quoting, "I can do ALL THINGS through Him..."rather than letting her just learn to be content with her situation, and never surf again!

* I'm glad Jesus said in Mark 9:23, "All things are possible for him who believes..."

That is until they revise it to say,

"All this is possible for him who believes..."

"All this," is not accurate. It's not literal. It's just weak.

The excessive gender adjustment and some of its subsequent grammatical consequences drive me the most crazy with the NIV2011. I understand that Paul was writing to "brothers and sisters," but I believe there are instances where the Greek or Hebrew is masculine, and the translators purposefully avoid the masculine even at the expense of some Messianic prophecy. The Only Begotten Son of God became a man, not a "them."

So, here's how I'm dealing with the change: I purchased an NIV1984 with large margins. Found a great deal on Amazon.com - couldn't believe the price! So if I spot a little gem, such as Phil. 2:6, I can write the explanation, or alternate NIV2011 translation in the margin and have the best of both worlds. I'm using a Pigma Micron pen with archival ink and 0.20 line width (finer than extra-fine!) if anyone's interested. This will make a great Bible to pass on to the kids. Personalized, study notes in the version their Daddy used to read.

When the dust settles what will be my Bible of choice? I'll probably continue memorizing in NIV1984, modifying it with stuff I like from the 2011. With all those versions out there might as well add my own - The John Whittington NIV remix! For personal reading and study I'm leaning to a more word-for-word, though the NIV is still beautiful to me. In a perfect world, I'd be able to memorize in 2 versions. Maybe I'll do that someday in my resurrected body.

The important thing now, for all of us, is to read, prayerfully meditate, endeavor to understand, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, apply to our lives, some version, any decent version of the Bible! "The best Bible version is the one you use!"

An Audience of One

This past weekend, while watching the splendor of Will and Kate's Royal Wedding, I saw an audience of one. After the exchange of the wedding vows, a trumpet fanfare introduced the British National Anthem, God Save the Queen:

God save our gracious Queen,

Long live our noble Queen,

God save the Queen:

Send her victorious,

Happy and glorious,

Long to reign over us:

God save the Queen.

Every single proud citizen of the UK standing in Westminster Abbey that day was fervently singing the song of Her Majesty... except for one: Her Majesty! Because the song is about her, she became an audience of one, with everyone else being the performers. When Charles becomes king, he will no longer sing, but listen to everyone else's rendition of God Save the King.

As a worship leader in church, I often find myself in the role of performer. Members of the congregation naturally seem like audience members, listening as I worship God. The reality, however, is that the entire body of believers is called to perform, to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, with God himself being the Audience of One. Next time you're standing in church, belting out the latest worship song from your pew or row, remember that you are not the audience. You are the performer, and the Lord is your Audience of One!

³O magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

Psalm 34:3

Photo by Reuters

Would You Like NIV, or NIV Classic?

I've spent a few months with the online / Kindle Edition of the NIV ©2011. This is the updated NIV which the translators have chosen to simply call, NIV. This is a break from their previous TNIV, which distinguished itself from the NIV 1984 (the one we've been reading for over 25 years).

I have read what I consider improvements on the way the update translates many passages in regard to changes in the English language over the past 25 years, as well as discoveries about Greek usage from 2000 years ago. For the most part, I still enjoy the flow of reading the NIV 2011 silently or aloud, as well as studying the truth of God's Word, and applying it to my life. Just to be clear the NIV 2011 is, in my opinion, just as much God's Word as KJV, ESV, etc.

I do have some problems with the update. I understand that these are probably based on personal preference, but I wonder if anyone else who has used the NIV for several years would share my concern. Allow me to vent for a moment.

I'm still not sure about the extent to which the updated NIV goes gender neutral. Surprisingly, my mom said she likes the idea of making it more readable to women, since the Gospel is meant for both men and women, and in Christ there is neither male nor female! She's less stuck in her ways than her son, who's almost half her age! But what bothers me is the mix between singular and plural to make many such passages gender neutral.

For example look at Revelation 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

To me, "they," sounds grammatically incorrect, and less personal, less individual than "he." The updated NIV book of John is full of gender neutrals that also seem to render the text less focused on the individual than the older NIV.

My other, more personal problem with the updated NIV is the fact that after 25 years I have dozens, if not hundreds of verses and even several chapters memorized. The update is just different enough to confuse and irritate if I tried to re-memorize all those passages! Going to another version altogether would be a pain for the same reason. If possible, I'd like the church I pastor to have an official version for continuity. Yes, we utilize several versions as we study, but the Word commands the public reading of the Scripture - it should be at least the same version for that. Come to think of it, the New Testament church was reading from the Septuagint, which seems to me a translation that follows a less-than-literal philosophy, much like the NIV.

Ultimately, I may embrace the update, but I would rather the NIV people retain both versions. I believe the 1984 and 2011 versions are that different. They say they're going to only offer one, the 2011 NIV, until they revise it. But maybe they will change their plans if enough people clamor for the 1984 edition. They could offer NIV and NIV Classic! But you remember how well that worked for Coca-Cola...