Helping Others with the Bible

 November 24, 2024

Sunday

Years ago, there was something called a "Baptist Bookstore." Later their name was changed to Lifeway. Today, they don't exist. They were good for browsing Bible translations and commentaries. Sure, I can still get them online but there was something about picking up the commentaries and reading a few explanations. I really don't know a good place I can do that today.

Anyway, I was in this Baptist Bookstore and noticed a man looking at Bibles. He seemed confused so I asked if I could help him. (No, I didn't work there.) He had recently become a Christian and wanted a Bible. (Why the person who led him to the Lord didn't offer to get him one is a mystery.) So, I asked him what he wanted to do with the Bible. He didn't know. He thought he could go into a Christian bookstore and buy a Bible. He didn't know that there were so many. I have to admit that it was confusing. I asked if he wanted just a Bible or he wanted something that explained the Bible. He wanted the latter. I suggested an NIV Study Bible. He thanked me and went to check out.

Where does someone like that go today? Sure, he can go to a bookstore. That secular bookstore will have all sorts of translations. There will not be any filter that would reject those that are deviations from the original languages. Those who are not familiar with the Bible will not know a word-for-word translation from a thought-for-thought translation. A paraphrase might even be thought to be a translation. 

Will a person ask for help when choosing a Bible? Many will not. So, what will the new Christian do if he or she doesn't receive a good Bible from someone who knows which Bible is needed? This is a very important question if we are to make disciples. Jesus said: 

John 8:31 (NASB 2020)³¹ So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples;

A person cannot truly be a disciple of Jesus without continuing in His word. The way each of us does this is through the Bible. 

Maybe this is a calling God is giving someone who is reading this blog. You would start your own blog reviewing each of the Bible translations and advising people whether each one is a good translation based on where they are in their spiritual maturity. It will take a mature person to evaluate each translation. It will take some scholarship to be able to read the Greek and Hebrew. It may take more than one person to form a team that will do this evaluation for those who need a good Bible.

There are no more Baptist Bookstores left. Sure, I know that some will say that the new Christian's church can help him. The problem with that idea is that many in churches today don't read their own Bibles. They know nothing about which translation is good or not. You can't learn to read the Bible from people who don't read the Bible.

I believe God is calling someone to join with others to help those who need a Bible and need to know how to use it. Maybe that's you.