Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.

Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.

According to Logos, the Mac version of Logos is available for pre-order and will ship in time for Christmas gifts!  They’ve got a promo video here.

I’m accepting Christmas gifts (cash donations) to purchase the Scholar’s Gold Edition of Logos next semester and I’m very excited about being able to run it as a native app on my MacBook!

I’ve recently read a number of posts and blogs decrying Google (as a symbol of the internet) for how this new information medium is affecting us.  In one of those, Mark Ward asked about the relationship between that concern and Bible software.  Here is an [extremely] expanded version of a comment I posted on his site.  In fact, it’s mostly a new article.  I’ll put my initial comment into a blockquote later on…

“Is Google Making Us Stupid?”  This is the title of Nicholas Carr’s recent article on theAtlantic.com.  Because of its eye-catching title and mind-catching content, this article quickly spread across the blogosphere.  (Out of the 40 RSS feeds I read, at least 4 posts referenced the article; at least that many also wrote about Andrew Sullivan’s related post on TimesOnline.)  I personally found this quite ironic – an article is written warning us of the dangers of blog-cruising, hyperlink-flung web-skipping and the reaction: let’s all blog about it!

Carr and Sullivan raise valid concerns – namely, that the way we read and learn from the internet (and other electronic media) is affecting the way we think.  Their basic thesis is that that medium (the means) by which we obtain information affects the way we process that information (in other words, it changes how we think).  Carr offers both anecdotal evidence and research supporting this claim.  I’m inclined to agree and, frankly, it’s disconcerting.  I’ve seen this change in my mind to a degree.  On the one hand, I can read/skim through blog posts with ease but, on the other hand, I’m finding that I need to apply extra discipline when I sit down with a non-fiction book.

Carr lists (in balance of his warning) some other advances that met with similar resistance (like writing and the printing press).  While this concession is valid, Carr doesn’t give up on his main argument.  Rightly so.

And even more rightly so for the Christian.  I want to bring this warning out of the “internet culture” context and relate it to Christianity.  How do Christians respond to this apparent shift?

Why should we be concerned about this shift from print to electronic information (and its resultant thought change)?  God gave us the words he wanted us to have in a book.  Not a website, a blog or even a PDF.  A book.  From the commands to Moses (Ex. 17.14; 34.27) to John’s commission (Rev. 21.5), Scripture is written.  In fact, the word “scripture” refers to things that are written (both the English and the Greek – graphe).  The objection could be raised that Gutenberg’s press was a departure from “writing” in a rigid definition.  That’s true, but consider the history of the Bible.  In a fly-over pass, Scripture proper began with written scrolls (OT).  [Excursus: forgive another oral tradition clarification, but even when oral transmission may have played a part in the recording of God’s words, it is the "Scripture" (written word) that is inspired (II Tim. 3.16), not the word-of-mouth account.]  NT books were written on parchments.  These were copied by hand as needed.  Eventually, large groups of pages were bound (hand-written books).  With the coming of the press, duplication was greatly aided (both quality and quantity).  Chapter and verse numbers were added shortly thereafter.  Within a few centuries, print concordances were available.  And now, we have electronic copies of our Bibles (Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic and dozens of other languages) that we can read and search and sort and analyze.

So what?  Of all these changes, I see two that have significantly affected how we read the Bible.

First, the introduction of chapter/verse numbers made it easier to find a passage (especially in longer books!), but over time, I believe that this innovation has led to a change in the way Christians read their Bibles.  Simply put, we let artificial divisions control our interpretation.  A verse is a verse, so all I need to do is find one with the words I want and I can prove my point.  Unfortunately, we’ve allowed a helpful thing make it easier to misread (or not read) context.  I’m thankful for a recent trend toward verse-number-less Bible layout as in The Books of the Bible (Disclaimer – I appreciate the layout very much, but I am not endorsing the TNIV as a preferred translation).

Second, the advent of Bible software is altering the way that many approach their Bible.  In BibleWorks, I can pull up every use of the word “love” (Hebrew, Greek or English) in a matter of seconds and graph how the word is spread over individual books and chapters.  I can instantly find that passage that is escaping my recollection – simply by recalling one or two key words.  I can run analytical tools that examine contexts, thoroughly cull desired words and phrases and display the results in an easy-to-grasp way.  I have access to raw data that would have taken hours upon hours to acquire 250 years ago.  But am I reading my Bible better for it?

I would submit that there are some dangers to avoid in the use of Bible software.

One is the danger of subconsciously equating Google searches with word searches. We google a phrase and assume that we now have all the available information on the topic. Word studies of that depth are only part of the theological study – much more can be gained from concept studies. As much as I love BibleWorks7, nothing it offers comes close to reading and re-reading the passages under consideration for detail.

Another danger is the easy searchability that comes from electronic library materials (yes, that can be a danger!). A heavy reliance on “search function” research puts the reader in jeopardy of basing conclusions on snippets of others’ conclusions – without reading or understanding the work that went into their writing. It’s the danger of laziness – letting someone else do the analysis & synthesis and grabbing bits of their conclusions without bothering to check their data or process. (Plus, you learn a lot more when you are forced to read the other pages around the “necessary” portion of your commentary!)

Is there value in electronic Bible study materials?  Absolutely!  I rely heavily on BibleWorks7 and am eagerly anticipating a Logos purchase in the near future.  But the cautions are valid and necessary.  Software data gathering is never a substitute for reading the Bible.  Commentary-skimming is lazy and precarious.  If God wanted us to read Scripture as a collection of word searches, he wouldn’t have given us a book full of narratives and sermons and letters and songs!  Further, we’ll never google our way out of theological tension – God allows that to keep us humble (among other reasons).  Note Carr’s warning: “In Google’s world, the world we enter when we go online, there’s little place for the fuzziness of contemplation. Ambiguity is not an opening for insight but a bug to be fixed” (from “Is Google Making Us Stupid?“).

We must not glorify technological advances and research tools and search functions and portable libraries while “what we may be losing is quietness and depth in our literary and intellectual and spiritual lives” (from “Google is giving us pond-skater minds” by Andrew Sullivan).

I’m going to go read a book now.

I first used a dual monitor set-up in a computer lab when I took a course in Visual Basic several years ago.  Then I used two monitors while working for IT Training at BJU during grad school.  I recently found a great deal on a LCD monitor and now I use two screens when I prepare sermons and Sunday School lessons.  For a computer programmer or someone developing training materials, the second screen adds the benefit of seeing code & preview or application & training document at the same time.  For Bible study, it lets you see your Bible software and your notes at the same time.  I like to have Word open to type my notes on my laptop screen and BibleWorks or Logos open on my second monitor right next to that. 

Set-up is pretty simple – just plug the second monitor into the power source and connect it to your laptop’s VGA output (the same one you’d use to connect to a projector).  Then (for Windows XP users), right-click your desktop, click “Properties” in the dialog box, and go to the “Settings” tab.  (In Vista, right-click the desktop, choose “Personalize,” then “Display Settings.”)  Drag the boxes around to match the placement of your two screen, make sure they’re both active (if number 2 is grayed-out, right-click it and choose “Attached”).  Then choose the screen resolution that works best for your secondary monitor – you’ll probably have to try a couple options to find the one you like best.  Open one of your softwares but do not maximize it.  Drag it over to the second screen.  Now you can see your notes and your Bible / commentary at the same time. 

If you’re looking for a cheap flat monitor to use as a second screen, I found the best price at accurateit.com – I got a slightly used 17″ monitor for less than $70.  Of course, their prices change regularly, so watch for a week (or use www.pricewatch.com to find low prices).  Their “grade B” monitors come slightly used and without a desk-stand, but they’re very well-priced.  I found that I can balance my monitor on my desk (leaning against a shelf) and use it well.  For the more mechanically-advantaged, you can cut a couple brackets out of angle-iron, drill holes at 25mm intervals and get some M8 screws and make your own stand/shelf clamp.  If you’ve got a better idea for a home-made stand, I’d love to hear it!

With new technology comes responsibility to evaluate that advance by the Word of God.  One popular subject in youth groups and Christian schools around the country recently is online social networking – Facebook, MySpace and similar sites.  How does a Christian (teenager especially) respond to this fad?  There are no verses in Scripture that contain the word “Facebook” – in any translation, to my knowledge.  BibleWorks did not find “MySpace” anywhere.  While there are no direct references to online social networking, the Bible does lay out principles that enable God’s people to wisely answer any question they face.  We need to take an honest look at online social networking (OSN) and judge it according to the mind of God revealed in His Word.

Problems with Social Networking

One of the first red flags raised over OSN is the presence of sexual predators.  A wise and necessary concern is loudly voiced about the adults who pose as youth in order to prey upon naïve teens.  According to a report released by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan in Dec. 2007, MySpace admitted that over 2000 registered sex offenders had created accounts in Illinois alone.  Recently, MySpace and the Attorneys General of 49 states discussed an agreement on several steps for MySpace to take in order to tighten security, protect younger users and purge sexual predators.  This publicity may cause concerned parents and youth pastors to wonder, “Is there a way to use a social networking site without being stalked and harassed by perverts?”  You need to closely monitor friend lists – never accept requests from or give information to strangers.  Privacy settings should be well restricted to prevent the profile from being accessed by a stranger.  Profiles also must contain no personal information that would allow a stalker to find a young person.  Taking these steps is a move in the right direction, but it is not perfect.  It is necessary to point out now that not all social networking sites are the same – Facebook, for example, has not shared the stage with MySpace in the registered sex offender accusations.  To a degree, that can be traced to better privacy settings. 
What Scripture applies here?  I Cor. 15.33 comes to mind: “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’ ” We must guard against corrupting influences online as well as in real life.  II Tim. 3.1-9 describes clearly the peril that Christians face in the last days: not only will the wickedness of man grow worse, but wicked men will also strive to pull others into the same sinful throes that they are caught in.

A second charge leveled against OSN is that it quickly becomes an addictive waste of time.  “My son spends all his time on his computer since he started that Face-thingy account!”  Instead of reading, studying, exercising and spending time with friends in person, young people devote their time to uploading photos, watching each other’s videos, instant messaging and “poking” each other.  You can quickly Google songs that college ensembles have written making fun of the time-sucking vacuum that social networking can become.  Is there a way to make use of social networking without wasting precious time?  We need to set wise time limits (use a timer if necessary) and parents of teens ought to make sure that priorities are done first (personal devotions, homework, chores, etc.)
Col. 4.5 instructs us to “conduct [our]selves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.”  Eph. 5.15-16 echoes that sentiment: “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. ” Jesus commended Mary for spending her time in fellowship with Him and chided Martha for being overly concerned about temporal things (Luke 10.41-42). 

Some would also express concern that OSN provides exposure to unique temptation.  The claim is made that “There are so many new ways for a young person to sin if they get into MySpace or Facebook.”  I disagree – this is not a valid argument.  Are there really any temptations unique to a social networking site?  Scripture says that there is no temptation except what is common to all men (I Cor. 10.13).  It would therefore follow that all the temptations available in OSN are available elsewhere.  Immodest profile pictures or photo albums – try walking through Wal-Mart or reading your whole newspaper without being confronted with a battle for eye/mind/heart purity.  Conversation about ungodly topics – ever sat at a lunch table in a Christian school?  The opportunity to live a double life – people have been doing that for centuries: the Internet hasn’t invented double lives.  Can you social network without being exposed to new temptations?  In reality, every temptation that would confront a social network user is already attacking him on several other fronts at the same time!  Do we completely eliminate every thing that could expose us to a temptation?  No, if we did that thoroughly, we wouldn’t even be able to spend time around other humans!  If a Christian frequents a social networking site, he needs to be wary and guarded – just as in every other aspect of his life.
As Christ commanded His disciples, we must “keep watching and praying that [we] may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mt. 26.41).  James pinpoints the source of temptation: it is our own lust, not the Internet: “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death” (Jas. 1.14-15).  As I previously mentioned, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (I Cor. 10.13).  Social networking has not invented any new sins or temptations to sin: it has simply put new packaging on many of the same temptations that surround us on other fronts.

Some oppose OSN because of the dangers of the Internet in general.  After all, the Internet is indeed a dangerous place to be; it is full of pitfalls like frauds, pornography and illegal activity.  True, true, true – we must never forget that wisdom and caution are needed in a minefield.  The Internet is a tool that (like most tools) can be used for good or evil.  Think of a knife – the most dangerous thing about a knife is the same thing that makes it useful: the sharpness of the blade.  The Internet is all about the semi-instantaneous exchange of information: it can be used for good information or wrong.  For a good understanding of the Internet’s dangers, read The Dark Side of the Internet by Rand Hummel – don’t forget the collection of brief essays in the back of the book.

Benefits of Social Networking

One benefit that I’ve enjoyed on Facebook is the grandly obvious one: keeping in touch with friends.  There are people that I can communicate with on Facebook that I would have lost track of otherwise.  I have friends on Facebook that I have not seen in years, including a number of college friends that I grew with and prayed with and shared four years of my life with.  If I were to transfer all my friends to email, I would have to manage a contact list of over 370 people, spend time sending and receiving picture files as attachments, and keep track of everything every time I change email accounts (in and out of school) or switch computers.  But look at Facebook – pictures of my friends and their families are always in the same place, I can send a message without hunting for an address, and everything is accessible any time I go online!  Social networking streamlines communication and “keeping in touch,” saving users time, energy and computer resources.  It is efficient and convenient.
Scripture recommends maintaining friendships: “Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, And do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away” (Prov. 27.10).

In a similar vein, OSN can provide opportunities to minister over great distances.  I know several missionaries who communicate with their prayer warriors over Facebook.  I can often see at a glance when a brother is hurting or rejoicing simply reading his status.  Sending a letter to a friend overseas would take days (or sometimes weeks); sending a message or email takes seconds.  Prayer letters and photos take paper and ink; online photo albums are easy to browse and view.  Really, all of the same advantages that missionaries and pastors ascribe to email apply to social networking – and more!  Social networking sites combine messages, images, video, and blog-functions and streamline the combination – time is just as precious today as ever and social networking (used cautiously) makes it faster and easier to minister to more people.

The Heart of the Problem

It all boils down to an issue of the heart.  Safe social networking requires maturity, purity and submissiveness of the heart.  Many teens are still growing in those areas and are not typically ready to maintain a godly online profile on their own.  If a teen uses a social network site at all, it must be under close parental supervision.  Parents provide leadership, direction and accountability in issues like music, friends, television, reading, school and a host of other things: online behavior requires parental involvement just as much (if not more)!  Here are some recommended guidelines for making a wise choice about your teen’s presence on a social networking site:

1. Not all sites are created equal.
   From its inception, MySpace has received considerable publicity for its inviting atmosphere for sexual predators.  Facebook, on the other hand, grew out of a secure, identity-verifying system.  MySpace profiles are public and openly viewable; Facebook profiles come with good privacy options.  Neither one is perfect, but Facebook is markedly more secure and safe than MySpace.
2. Social networking is not necessary.
   In other words, parents should not hesitate to treat this as a privilege to be revoked if it is abused.  Parents do not even have to allow their children to have profiles in the first place.  Like every other arena in a teen’s life, online activity comes under parental authority.
3. Parents must be involved.
   Know your teen’s password and provide accountability.  The internet computer should be in a public place in the home already.  It is wise for a parent to log-in to his child’s account to monitor what’s going on there.  Know the privacy settings on the account and keep them tight.
4. A balanced life takes priority over the benefits of online communication.
   If any other necessary part of life (that is, health, academics, local friendships, and especially devotion to God) atrophies because of an over-emphasis on online friendships, the online part of life needs to be curtailed.  All the essentials of life have existed far longer than computers; social networking is not a necessity by any means!

Most of the benefits of social networking apply primarily to adults; the dangers apply primarily to teens.  Therefore, I believe that, as a general rule, high school (and younger) students should not be involved in “Facebook-ing” or any other type of social networking.  In most cases, social networking among teens leads to more problems than benefits.  That stage of life is prime for studying, enjoying physical activity, cultivating personal friendships, and most of all, developing a close walk with God.

Simply because of the year of our birth, we are surrounded by technology.  Phones, computers, multimedia players, networks, software, website – they surround us with lights and sounds and shiny buttons and voices and features and connections and … and … and …  The list really could go on almost endlessly.  With the advent of so much that is “new,” there comes a need to thoughtfully evaluate those things in the light of God’s Word and in application of His wisdom.  As I have time, I’ll be posting articles on certain aspects of technology as they compare to God’s Word.  The first few will come rapidly because I recently led a set of workshops on some of these topics for youth pastors’ retreat.

The first topic here will be “Technology in Preaching and Teaching.”  It will by no means be exhaustive, but it does highlight a number of current technologies that aid the pastor or layman who studies and presents the Scripture to God’s people.

Technology in Preparation
My favorite study software is BibleWorks 7 (www.bibleworks.com).  The starting price for this software package is $350 (although universities and seminaries can often procure copies at an academic discount).  It’s focus is exegetical work – your own study of the text.  The package includes almost 40 English versions, 19 Greek versions and early writings, 15 Hebrew and Aramaic versions, over 30 standard language reference works.  BibleWorks 7 features powerful word study tools, diagramming modules, full parsing information, an integrated text editor, Greek & Hebrew flashcard program, and four hours of tutorial videos.  In my own work, I’ve barely scratched the surface of these capabilities, but I am constantly impressed by the speed and ease with which I can search Scripture, compile and sort word study data, and view verses in context in a variety of translations with a wealth of reference works against which I can check my own study.

Another excellent Bible study package is the Logos Bible Study Library (www.logos.com).  This software comes in several different packages.  The lowest package is the “Christian Home” version for $150.  This package includes 11 English versions, a few Greek & Hebrew references, a number of basic commentaries and reference works, several books on current topics, and a MIDI hymn collection.  The “Original Languages” library is available for $415 and includes the Greek and Hebrew morphologies that make word studies flexible, powerful and accurate.  It also contains a wealth of original language lexicons and grammars.  The apex of Logos software is the “Scholar’s Library: Gold.”  This collection ($1380) has all the powerful exegetical tools of the Original Languages edition and adds to that collection a vast library of books: commentaries, theologies, dictionaries, pastoral helps, sermon preparation books, a 90-volume theological journal, and many more.  The cost is significantly higher than other softwares, but the materials included in electronic form would cost nearly $12,000 if purchased in print copies!  Logos’ strength is in its library format.  It runs in the Libronix Digital Library System and can turn thousands of pounds and hundreds of feet worth of books into a library the size of the computer you load it on.  The Libronix system is a standard software package that is compatible with electronic copies of thousands of books besides the Logos libraries.

For those who don’t have hundreds of dollars to invest immediately in a Bible study software package, I recommend saving your money and making the purchase of a good Bible study program a financial priority.  But while you are saving, e-Sword (www.e-sword.net) is a good temporary option.  Its biggest benefit is its price: free!  The software can be downloaded from the website, along with 145 free plugins (67 Bibles, 16 commentaries, 14 dictionaries and encyclopedias, 8 graphics collections, and 40 other books).

There are also a number of online resources available at no cost.  Some recommended sites include

• Christian Classics Ethereal Library (www.ccel.org): a digital library of hundreds of classic Christian books selected for edification and education
• CyberHymnal (www.cyberhymnal.org): a huge selection of traditional hymn tunes and text in an easily searchable website
• SharperIron (www.sharperiron.org): discussions on current theological and practical trends
• Online Sermons: www.sermonaudio.com or www.oneplace.com

Technology in Presentation
Once the essential work of Bible study and sermon/lesson preparation has been done, technology is still available to aid you as you compile your material to present it to your congregations or classes.  In my estimation, professional hand-outs are nearly essential.  Hours of study, sweat and prayer is hardly served appropriately by “secretary leftover” paper, an odd assortment of fonts and sizes and a random smattering of cartoonish clip-art.  Excellent print materials to accompany your presentation are not far away.  Here are a few suggestions for putting together quality hand-outs without wasting valuable time.  Uniformity is the key to a well-designed hand-out.  Pick one or two fonts (one for text, one for heading or titles) and stick with them consistently.  Make all your formatting standard; learn your word processor’s “Styles and Formatting” feature – by defining and saving styles of text and formatting, you can save time every week as you prepare.  On an aside, well-defined styles can also make sermon preparation and delivery easier: choosing a particular font style color for explanation, another for illustration, and another for exhortation will aid you as you prepare your notes in your study and deliver your message in the pulpit.  As a general rule, avoid clip-art littered handouts or dull, lifeless “system default” fonts; strive for a balance between random-messy and boring-plain.

Another technological advancement that can help proclaim truth is PowerPoint (or KeyNote or other slide show software) presentations.  For several years now, Fundamentalists have often shied away from using slides to accompany worship (singing or preaching), claiming that it looked too much like a compromised contemporary church.  I suspect that such a claim is based more on personal opinion and worldview than on Scripture.  I wouldn’t claim the other extreme (asserting that all churches must use slideshow presentations or else they’ll be stuffy and irrelevant), but I would suggest that there are times when multimedia technology is appropriate, perhaps even highly beneficial, in worship service.  One example of such an occasion is the presentation of instrumental music in a church.  The sound of the music itself is not what gives spiritual impact to psalms, hymns and spiritual songs; the spiritual impact comes from text that presents truth from God’s Word.  Displaying the text of the hymn being played by a wordless instrument will give listeners the opportunity to respond to truth by genuinely worshiping God in truth (John 4.24); whereas playing a song without making the text available often replaces spiritual worship with good musical entertainment.  Another avenue where slideshows are effective and beneficial is in teaching ministries.  “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Why are we content merely to push the message through the ear-gate; can we not utilize the eye-gate?  Things seen in images strongly aid retention of truth.  Whether it is the main points of a youth pastor’s sermon outline displayed to teens or images of Biblical locations or artifacts put on screen by a Sunday School teacher, visual aids will help your audience to learn and retain the message better.

I offer this caveat in closing: technology can be a benefit and a blessing as we seek to prepare and present the truth of Scripture, but we must never grow dependent on it.  For centuries, God’s shepherds have accurately handled the Word of truth (II Tim. 2.15) without BibleWorks 7 or Logos Scholar’s Library: Gold.  God’s Word has accomplished His desire and succeeded in His purpose (Isa. 55.11) without an accompanying PowerPoint show.  Paul decried “persuasive words of wisdom,” “superiority of speech,” and “the wisdom of men” as false foundations of saving faith, and so must we decry persuasive slide shows of wisdom, superiority of technology, and the gadgets of men as modern false foundations for faith (I Cor. 2.1-5)!  Presentation technique is never a substitute for diligent preparation and study of Scripture, and word search statistics and commentaries are never a substitute for a prayerful seeking of God’s mind in the text at hand.  When appropriate and helpful, use technology in such a way that nothing distracts the hearers from the true power of preaching: God’s Word.