When I first picked up a Bible, I was completely confused by the language and I could barely read the tiny font. Honestly, it made reading the Bible seem like I had to be a Shakespearean thespian in order to understand it!
As a complete newbie to the Bible, I had no idea that there were Bible versions out there that were “right” for me. I didn’t know that I could find a Bible in a translation I understood, in a font size I could comfortably read, and in the color of leather I preferred.
If you’re just starting out in your Bible reading journey, it’s important to find the Bible that is right for you. Finding the right Bible will help with your reading comprehension and understanding of the Scriptures, which will eventually help you know God and connect with Him on a heart level.
So how do you know which Bible is right for you?
Here are a few of our recommendations on how to find the right starter Bible for you:
1. Consider the New International Version (NIV) translation.
There are many different translations of the Bible and it can be difficult to know which one to use. The most common and popular version of the Bible to use is the King James Version (KJV), but unless you understand how to navigate through old English, this is probably the most confusing version to use…
The KJV was created in 1611 as an English translation of the Old and New Testaments, thanks to King James I of England. You can read the history behind this translation, but the point is, we’re in the 21st century right now (not the 17th), so we could all use something a bit more modern.
With all of that said, we recommend choosing the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible. It’s in modern day English so it’s very easy to understand. If you want a more in depth reasons as to why we use the NIV, feel free to check out our blog post about it.
2. Consider a Life Application or Study Bible
Once you find a translation you can understand, then you’ll want to look for the type of Bible to get.
One of the biggest trends right now is “Bible journaling”, where you create artwork in your Bible in accordance with the Scriptures. It’s quite creative and beautiful, and if you’re more on the artsy side, this could be a great form of expression.
But as a beginner Bible reader, you don’t want to get caught up in coloring the pages of your Bible rather than reading and studying them out. Therefore, we recommend not buying a “Journaling Bible” at this point in time.
Instead, we recommend a Life Application or Study Bible. Both types of Bibles are great for beginner Bible readers, as they provide additional context to the Scriptures that can help you in your understanding. A Life Application Bible provides real life questions and practicals to help you better apply the Scriptures to your every day life. A Study Bible has historical facts about different people and places in the Scriptures to help you get a better understanding of what you’re reading.
When we first started reading our Bibles, we both used either a Life Application or a Study Bible. Depending on the type of additional input you’re looking for (i.e. more life input or more historical input), that can determine which type of Bible would be best for you to use.
3. Consider a Bible That You Plan to Use Daily
If you read the section of this blog post about Why You Should Read the Bible, then you know that the Bible is something that you should read every day.
That said, you want to pick out a Bible that you plan to use daily. Therefore, you’ll want to consider how big the Bible is and whether you plan to carry it around or not. We know—you can download a Bible App and easily have access to the Scriptures that way. Touché.
However, from our experience in doing Bible studies with people over the years, we’ve found that people are more likely to read and dive deep into the Scriptures when they have a “hard copy” Bible as opposed to a phone app. When you’re reading something in print, you won’t have to worry about being distracted by text or email notifications when you’re trying to focus on God.
If you plan to keep a Bible in your purse or backpack, you’ll want to go with a Bible that is a smaller or lighter size (like a pocket Bible or thin line Bible). These Bibles tend to have smaller fonts, so if you have any visual challenges, you may not want to choose that option. You could choose a large print Bible, but those tend to be bulkier—which isn’t a problem if your plan is to read your Bible every morning while you’re still at home.
Whatever will help you read the Bible daily, choose that one.
Hopefully these recommendations will help you find the right Bible for you!
What was the first Bible you ever had? Feel free to make a few Bible recommendations in the comments below!
1 comment