Bare Your Bookshelf

Bare Your Bookshelf: The average American Christian own 9 Bibles and is actively in the market for more. The average third world pastor has zero Bibles for which to minister to the flock.

For my part, I have four pocket New Testaments, one study New Testament, two “plain” Bibles, and eight study Bibles. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more elsewhere, but those constitute what I can see from where I’m sitting. My wife has a couple also, and the total number of Bibles in our household to well beyond a dozen. And then there’s electronic versions I have on my computer, not to mention virtually unlimited access to just about any version imaginable via the internet.

And I am actively “in the market” for more, having placed a study Bible on a wish list.

When it comes to the Word of God, I am spoiled. So spoiled in fact that several of those Bibles I have listed have never been read from by me, let alone studied for any length of time.

For all of what we’re taught about the importance of the Bible, the preeminence of it in worship, the authority of it in our lives, and the complete inability of knowing God accurately and sufficiently without… For all of that, we bury ourselves under countless Bibles as if we were a Hot Wheels collector avidly looking for every car, every paint job, every variation to complete his set.

All the while, our brethren in lands of less abundance are making due without the complete Bible. What fragments of it they can get, they treasure. Pastors minister from memory, a task which I would be afraid to do, as misusing or misapplying God’s Word would more easily be done without it set before me to read from.

If you are a regular reader, I surmise that you likely have an abundance of Bibles as well, perhaps even extra study material for which to supplement one’s understanding of Scripture (lexicons, dictionaries, etc.). If you do, consider requesting a mail bag from Bare Your Bookshelf; I just did. Send your unused material out to those who hunger and thirst for the Word of God, for that which we so often and so easily take for granted.

If Jesus is the Reason for the Season, what better way to celebrate Him than in the furtherance of His Word!

5 thoughts on “Bare Your Bookshelf”

  1. Definitely feel bad, to think there are ones who want a Bible and don’t have any.

    I have:

    Ryrie Study Bible
    Nelson study Bible
    Newberry Study Bible
    Morris’ Defender’s Study Bible
    Bullinger Study Bible
    ESV Reformation Study Bible
    a tiny one I carry in my jacket
    A parallel New Testament
    oh and even a New World Translation for apologetic study purposes :) (but would we count that a Bible?)

    That’s all I can think of right now. Know someone who seriously needs a bible and will use it? Glad to give the Ryrie away :)

    Glen

  2. The Ryrie Study Bible was my first leather-bound study Bible, and I still love it. If I use a King James Version, it’s my Ryrie typically.

    Regarding study Bibles I have:

    The Evidence Bible
    The NIV Study Bible
    The New Oxford Annotated Bible
    The Ryrie Study Bible
    The Tim Lahaye Prophecy Study Bible
    The End Times Bible
    The Scofield Study Bible
    The Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible
    And I feel like I’m forgetting one even…

    I use the Scofield and the Thompson Chain most often.

  3. I’m debating whether or not I should purchase the Geneva Bible 1599 edition. What do you guys think?

    I only have three Bibles, and I actually plan on giving up two of them. Unless, Rick, do you know if I can send a Bible that has highlighting in it? Because if not, then I’ll only be sending one of them.

  4. As long as the book is still in good shape and can stand up to being used for study and preaching, I’m sure it’d be fine to send. Highlighting and margin notes wouldn’t make the book unusable, I’d think.

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