Bibles and Bible Accessories

For centuries, millions of people have looked for answers to life's most difficult questions in an ancient sacred text: the Bible. It's become the best-selling book in the world. Although most people own a print Bible, many find it hard to read. They know that somewhere within its pages are words from God that could help them understand themselves, make important decisions, gain peace, renew hope, and experience God's love. But finding the right words when they need them is often a daunting task. The Reader's Guide contains information on the following:

-How Important is a translation?
-What do I need to know about Bibles?
-How should the Bible be read?
-Should I take the Word personally?
-Can the Bible be read in a short period of time?
-Should I embark on the journey alone?
-Are there any other sources I should be reading while studying the Bible?
-What is out there for Reference sources?


The Right Bible translation helps.

The books that make up the Bible were written over a period of about 1500 years. The last book was completed about 1900 years ago. The different parts of the Bible were originally written in one of three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek. Since then, it's been translated into many different languages. Today, the best-selling Bible translation in the world is the New International Version (NIV).  For more about translations, click here.

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Knowing the basics helps.

As you read the Bible, you'll notice that it is divided into chapters and verses. These divisions were added to help readers locate a specific passage more easily. You'll also notice that the Bible is divided into two major parts - the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament books are the Jewish Bible (Tanak) and are also the first section of the Christian Bible. The New Testament records the story of the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus, as well as the history and teachings of the early Christian church. The Bible is a compilation of books written by a number of different people for different reasons.

While not necessary, you may want to obtain a Bible commentary to refer to as you read. This is a book in which scholars explain the meaning of each verse. Since the Bible was written in different culture, you may find it puzzling at times. A Bible dictionary may also be helpful in understanding unfamiliar terms.

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Don't read the Bible like a typical book

If you are new to the Bible, you may find that reading from the first page to the last is difficult. There are five books that contain the essential teaching of the Bible. If this is your first time, we recommend that you start by reading Genesis, the first book of the Bible. It gives the origin of the earth and stories of early men and women of faith. Then turn to Deuteronomy, the fifth book in the Bible. It expresses God's love and summarizes God's laws for his people, Israel. Next, turn to the fourth book in the New Testament, the Gospel of John. It introduces Jesus as God's Son and shows the meaning behind his life, death and resurrection. The next book, Acts, follows the Gospel of John and gives a history of the early church. The sixth book, Romans, follows the book of Acts and is a letter from the Apostle Paul to people in the early church. It explains the needs of the human race and how God has met those needs through Jesus. These five Bible books will give you the history and basic principles you'll need to understand the rest of the Bible.

We now have three different Bible reading plans available for you!  No matter how familiar or unfamiliar you are with the Bible, you will find a reading plan to suit your needs.  Click here to go to our reading plans.  (Reading plans provided by our friends at ZondervanBibles.com.)

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Take it personally.

To fully appreciate the Bible, what you read must become relevant in your life. After you read a passage, pause for a moment and ask three simple questions:
1. Observation: What is this passage about?
2. Interpretation: What does it mean?
3. Application: How does it apply to my life?

If you find it difficult to see the relevance to your life, there are editions of the Bible designed to help you. Research was done to find the most common questions people have at different stages of life. Bible scholars took these questions and linked them to passages in the Bible that give relevant answers.

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Take your time.

Of all the reasons people give for not reading the Bible, the most common one is discouragement. The Bible is a big book - over 1,000 pages long. People who plan to read through the whole Bible starting with Genesis often get bogged down somewhere in the second or third book.
 
We now have three different Bible reading plans available for you!  No matter how familiar or unfamiliar you are with the Bible, you will find a reading plan to suit your needs.  Click here to go to our reading plans. (Reading plans provided by our friends at ZondervanBibles.com.)

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Other people can help you understand the Bible.

After reading the Bible you may find certain passages that seem to have several layers of meaning. This is one reason the Bible can be read over and over again with new insights at each reading. If you have not already done so, you will benefit by finding a church or religious group to help answer your questions and discuss how the Bible applies to life today. Look for one that uses the Bible as the basis for instruction.

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Other reference books can help you understand the Bible.

There are hundreds of Bible reference books to choose from. Here's a simple way to select the books and software that will best support your personal study. Your library should be comprised of five types of books that meet your three basic needs:

1. For an OVERVIEW of the Bible, get a Bible Handbook or Bible Companion.
2. To FIND something in the Bible, get a Bible Concordance and a Topical Bible.
3. To UNDERSTAND something in the Bible, get a Bible Dictionary and a Bible Commentary.

Each of these reference books should be directly connected with your preferred Bible translation. For example, if you read the NIV Bible translation, your reference books and software should be keyed to the NIV.

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The five types of Bible reference books.

1. A Bible Handbook is a companion to Bible reading. It's arranged in the order of the books of the Bible, and provides background before you read through a Bible book, commentary and illustrations as you read, and topical and historical notes to expand your understanding.
2. A Concordance lists common words found in the Bible and shows the places where they occur. For example, under the entry faith you'd find the locations in the Bible where the word "faith" is used. A Concordance enables you to do word studies as well as locate verses you vaguely remember.
3. A Topical Bible includes a guide to different subjects addressed in the Bible. Under faith, it will list not only the most important verses where the word "faith" is found, but also verses that talk about faith without using the word, for example Genesis 15:6, "Abram believed the LORD . . . ."
4. A Bible Dictionary gives more detailed information about people, places, words, and events in the Bible. You could use it to learn more about what the Bible says about children, or about Peter, or Egypt, or miracles.
5. A Bible Commentary is a single or multi-volume work that explains the meaning of Bible passages.

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At Christianbook.com, our goal is to provide you with the Bibles, reference works, study aids you need - all at our low prices - as well as the information you need to help you choose the right resources for your needs.

If you are looking for a new Bible, try our EasyFind Bible Search Engine.  For help chosing a study Bible, click here, or return to the Main Bibles page and browse to your heart's content.  Check in from time to time to see what is new to our Bibles page, we are often adding new features to help you.