In my first post I listed the "tools" I had gathered for this journey I've started - I have since added quite a few more. Lifeway and Cedar Springs should really add me as a preferred shopper, and http://www.christianbook.com/ should really send me coupons. Almost a year ago I purchased the NIV Life Application Study Bible and even bought one for Chris for Christmas. I think I mentioned how this 4-pounder sat on my nightstand collecting dust. A google search for "Bibles" turned up hundreds of sites and pretty soon I was introduced to the plethora of other options - different translations, different types, different covers (leather, metal, waterproof plastic!). All of these options made my head spin almost as much as discovering Jonah - in the midst of this research I added the NIV Quest Study Bible to my collection. The reviews were pretty positive for "new" believers as we've been coined, as it provides answers to a multitude of "simple questions" about the Bible. Since I'm a huge fan of color coding, I also found some marking pens and highlighters.
Soon after this I stumbled across The Message by Eugene Peterson - I had purchased the Solo devotional last year but only recently realized that the Bible verses printed therein were from The Message. This tweaked my curiosity - a paraphrase of the Bible! A part of me immediately felt as though this version wasn't really a true version, and I really resisted even looking at The Message for at least three weeks. A coupon from Cedar Springs convinced me otherwise, and a few weeks ago I purchased one - awful I know. One scan of the pages and I was hooked: the Bible suddenly came to life in a novelistic way - action and drama and so much energy that had kept me from reading my dusty, super-informed NIV. During that same trip, I also found Dig Deeper by Beynon and Sach, a book of tools for unraveling and studying the word of God. Through a handful of tools, they teach you how to deconstruct the passages for yourself, not really for interpretation or application, but for study of what is actually being said and why. They also mentioned using a more literal translation for actual Bible study which perhaps should be different than devotional or personal reading.
Enter the ESV - don't worry, I had another coupon. This is where my Bible reading has gotten difficult - it's so easy to passively read through The Message with a cup of tea and enjoy the story as you would any other work of fiction. But deconstructing the words within the verses within the chapters within the books is hard. Chris made a comment that you could spend an entire lifetime just studying the Bible - I didn't understand until now. Not only is this task hard, but it is exhausting - What does this verse say? Why was it written? What is the genre? Tone? Is there repetition in words used? What is the historical meaning of this word? Put all that in your pipe and smoke it. I can't even remember what book I read that first night with my ESV, but I do know that it is marked with a rainbow of colors - repeated words, repeated messages, allusions to future events or other books, etc.
Whew - last night I reopened my original Life Application Bible. What was once exhausting pales in comparison to an actual study of the fairly literal translation of the ESV. They aren't extremely different, and I made sure to compare the NIV to the ESV, but the differences only opened up a new can of worms and questions. I have concluded (even though my research hasn't ended) that perhaps none of this matters. There are many books on which translation is best, which to use or purchase (believe me, I've researched them), and I'm sure MANY people have their own opinion about which Bible is the "true" or "best" or "real" version. And that's all really great. Good for them. For me, I just keep praying for the discipline and strength to keep this daily time with God up. At the end of the day, I'm not sure (at least not yet anyway) that it matters which Bible you're reading but simply that you're taking the time to read one. That's really the hard part - setting aside the time everyday after a long day at work, family obligations, the daily routine of life - setting aside the time to be still and to listen. I like to think that God delights in this time that we devote to him, no matter which version we're reading.
I'm sure I'll add a few other versions to my collection, along with reference materials and other books, but for now, I let my day and my mood decide for me. Am I feeling inquisitive? Then I grab the Life Application and the Quest study Bibles. Am I feeling daring and bold? Then I study the ESV. Do I just need to unwind after a long day and read? Then I reach for The Message. They all contribute to my time with God - and that's really the whole point.
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