Computerized Bible Study Tool

Being a fairly modern fellow who has been a personal computer user for, ummmm... 26 years (look, I said I was modern, I didn't say I was young), I have always wished for a really good electronic Bible with a linked concordance. Over the years I have tried a few programs and one of those little hand held jobbies, but I had never found anything powerful and easy to use until recently.

Then, within a few years time, a half dozen hefty software packages, with hefty prices, came on the market. I tried to figure out how to evaluate these products to see if I'd be spending money wisely, but also if I was getting the right one. In this case, my indecision paid off!

About two years ago, I googled into a great web site that offered a really complete and easy-to-use, integrated Bible study tool named e-Sword. On top of being a great product, it turned out to be absolutely free, as well. When this guy, the author Rick Meyers, says free, he means that he never charges a cent for this amazing, full-featured software. It isn't shareware or adware or anything else, it's just free.

So can free software be any good? Just ask any Linux user that question! Oddly enough, e-Sword has gone head-to-head with several $100-500 programs in this genre and hits smack in the middle of the pack on features and near the top on usability. I give it very high marks for ease of use and one of its best features, amazing expandability, is mostly unavailable in other programs of this type. Any time I like I can go out to Rick's site or to a linked resource page and get another version or translation of the Bible, a commentary or dictionary or other study tool.

Some of my favorite features include the Modern King James version Bible, the Literal Translation, Strongs Concordance (of course), Vines dictionary, Webster's dictionary, the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary and Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible. There's Fox's Book of Martyrs, 2000 Bible illustrations, a history of the church and even a a graphics viewer with maps of the ancient and modern worlds.

Okay, you know that it has lots of stuff, but what do you DO with it? Glad you asked! Dude, you get into the Word. I mean, really into it. Obviously, you can read the Bible in the version of your choice. Or in six versions. If a word or a topic has you stumped or just curious, you can look up the definition or other places where it appears, or what great scholars have said about it, or where the same topic is covered in the Old Testament.

Potentially, e-Sword could help you learn to really enjoy studying the Scriptures. It could turn the Word into something that you turn to every day for answers to questions, problems and curiosities. When you can look up three references to the miracles of Jesus in under a minute, well, you might actually try it sometimes. I use it to look up references on the fly while I'm chatting online. And I never have to take someone else's word for it that the Bible says this or that. I can look it up and study it out in no time at all. Now that's how the modern disciple should arm himself to defend his faith: with and electronic sword :-)



PS. While checking out the links on the web site, I found out that Rick Meyers is the father of Krystal Meyers, the 17 year old CHR star. Weird.