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Providing Bibles for All
Posted on Monday, July 16, 2007 at 9:01 AM by Jason Barker
The other day I read an article - I don't remember which publication - about the need to provide Bibles for students in Bible study groups. The point of the article is that many participants in a Bible study will not bring a Bible with them to the group - some will not own a Bible at all - and therefore churches and group leaders need to make available copies of the Bible for all participants. This is an excellent point, and jibes with my experience: if you want teens to follow along with the Bible reading and participate in group discussion, you need to have copies available at each meeting.
I include the New King James Version of the biblical text (generously provided by Thomas Nelson) in each of my Bible study applications. While this is necessary in the applications, it does not address the issue of providing copies of the text at Bible study groups. To meet this need, I encourage churches to keep numerous copies of the Orthodox Study Bible for use in study groups and classes. For churches or groups that cannot afford individual copies of the Orthodox Study Bible, I at least encourage you to find inexpensive copies of the NKJV (the official translation used in the Bible Bowl competitions in the Antiochian Archdiocese): for example, a few years ago I went to a sale at a local Christian bookstore and was able to purchase paperback copies of the NKJV for one dollar each.
Extending further the idea of making Bibles available for all, I want to particularly commend Steven Robinson and Bill Gould's ministry providing copies of the Orthodox Study Bible to all who ask. Steven and Bill - hosts of the Our Life in Christ radio program and podcast - need your support to continue this vital ministry.
Posted in Miscellaneous