"What do I do with my old bible?"

 This question has been posed to me several times over the years. So, I decided to do a little research to see if there is a proper way to discard our old Bibles. If you are like me, you have several old, worn out ones sitting in a box somewhere.

What I have discovered is there is no official designation of how to handle the disposal of Bibles. Islam and Judaism provide very strict rules for disposing of copies of their text, but Christianity does not.

As Christ followers our long tradition has been to see the sacredness of the Bible to be in the meaning of the text, not the text itself. It is in the words that God has revealed himself to us, not the physical ink and paper. Many believers fear of violating the commandment concerning worshipping an idol, if too much emphasis is placed on the book itself. Christians worship the Word who became flesh, not the paper that the Bible was written upon. The way I look at it, the word of God will endure forever. Therefore, we cannot possibly destroy His Word by throwing away a Bible.

I recall in my theology studies that there are no original copies of the Scriptures in existence today. That’s right, zero. At some point, the autographs (originals) were discarded. So the way I see it, there is a precedent.

So what do we do with our old Bibles?
 I will echo the recommendation that I came across most often. Dispose of our Bibles the same way that the American Flag is discarded. Burn it. In the US Flag Code. TITLE 4,CHAPTER 1,Sec. 8(k). It states: 
"The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning."

Maybe one can read some pages of Scripture about God’s Word and write a brief statement that can be read over it like a eulogy. I have pulled some verses from Psalm 119 and 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 and 4:1, to write my own tribute.

Your word, O Lord, is eternal;
It stands firm in the heavens.
Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
Your word is lamp unto my feet and light for my path
Direct my footsteps according to your word;
Let no sin rule over me
Your statutes are my heritage forever;
They are the joy of my heart.
My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end
I have put my hope in your word
For all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that I may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give this Bible back to the Father from which it came. Amen.

So, maybe this will help you dispose of old Bibles that are falling apart, but just can't bring yourself to sim....

 
 
A question I am asked quite frequently is what version of the Bible is the one I should use? My answer is what are you looking for in a Bible?

Remember that the Bible was written in three languages, none of which was English! Therefore, translation is needed. There are basically three approaches to translating the Bible:

Word-for-Word: As much as possible, translators take each "word" from the original Greek or Hebrew text and find the closest English word to put in its place.

Thought-for-Thought: Translators take the "meaning" of the original language and rewrite it in modern language so it is easy to read and understand.

Paraphrase: This type of Bible is typical put together by a single person, instead of a team as is the case with the previous two types of translation. They reword the text and put it into contemporary language so that it is very easy to read and understand.

If you are a person who plans are really studying the Bible in a very calculated approach, then you will prefer a Word-for-Word translation. This type of Bible, because of its desire to be as close to the original as possible, may at times read a little choppy.

If your desire is to get a solid translation that is easy to read, then you need to pick up a Thought-for-Thought Bible.

A paraphrase is good for devotional reading. However, I do not recommend them as the primary Bible you will use. They make great complementary text for one of the previous two types of translations.
 
 
I guess you can call me a Bible collector. I have over a dozen Bibles in a wide variety of translations.  Let me take this opportunity to share my favorites in each type of translation method. I will list a total of four different versions.

My Word-for-Word choice is the English Standard Version (ESV).

My Thought-for-Thought selection is the New Living Translation (NLT).

My favorite Paraphrase is the Message (Msg).

In my opinion the best overall translation is the New International Version (NIV).

Below you will find a comparasion of the versions using Colossians 3:1-4.

ESV: 1If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

NLT: 1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

Msg: 1-2 So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.
3-4Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.

NIV: 1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.