The last decade of the 20th century brought new vistas of adventure to the world of Bible study. The word of God was unleashed from the printed page to the digitized screen. For those pioneers who first encountered digital Bible study, it has been a fast-paced turn of events to a day where the Bible is now available for instant word-studies on the phone, quick word searches online, and sermons that can be shared to multiple platforms. Whether you get your devotions from a web page, your lessons from a digital platform or the tried and true method of paper and pen, consider these advantages to the new options in digital Bible study.
Digitized cross-references.
Bible study has been revolutionized by hyperlinked cross-references. The columns of Scripture references on the pages of your favorite study Bible do not have to be looked up one by one anymore (presuming you ever did). Using today’s technology, they can simply pop-up the reference or with a simple click or hover, list them all at once and copy into a word-processor for use in a sermon, lesson, or sharing with a friend.
Original languages for everyone.
What used to take a Strong’s exhaustive concordance and hours of reference and study is now tagged behind each word of the biblical text. Using Accordance, (the software recommended by SAGU) A click and hold on a word on a phone can now just show you the original word and its phonetic pronunciation, but how many places its form shows up in the biblical text.
Study Bible note liberation.
Do you have a favorite study Bible? That paper Bible is tied to the version you bought it with. Consider the fact that you could have the study notes from the Life Application Study Bible or ESV Study Bible side by side with the NIV, NKJV, and ESV.
Notes that last forever.
Current strides in Bible software enable the user to create a note alongside the text that can be attached to a verse. That note can be seen no matter what version the user prefers. Those notes, built through classroom, personal study, and sermon preparation persist year after year. They can be printed off and shared with friends and family.
Highlighting for a heritage.
When a user highlights the text, those highlights can be turned on or off, associated across the versions, or not, and printed off. Consider the underlining and highlights in a cherished Bible. Digital Bible study over time enables the user to print off the highlights, share files with friends and family and perpetuate a heritage of faith decades into the future.
In Conclusion
In Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Moses urged the people of Israel to teach their children about the truth of God’s love from one generation to another. Using the latest tools in Bible study, the lifelong task of discipleship has become not only easier but a potential blessing so all can hear.
Want more ThoughtHub content?
Join the 3000+ people who receive our newsletter.
*ThoughtHub is provided by SAGU, a private Christian university offering more than 60 Christ-centered academic programs – associates, bachelor’s and master’s and doctorate degrees in liberal arts and bible and church ministries.