There has been a major shift over the past several since the introduction of the Iphone and Android smartphones. From there we’ve been introduced to tablets and wearable technology that many use in their everyday lives.
Information is more available now than it has ever been before. With the click of the button or search of the phone, you can find the answers to just about anything that you can think of. You can connect with just about anyone through various social media outlets.
Social media has become a billion-dollar industry bringing people together in ways we would of never imagined.
- Years ago you would find pastors and laymen preaching against the wiles of social media, warning their congregations to stay away from them. Today it has become a tool of outreach for the church to keep up with members and possible visitors, with the preaching on it shifting to that of a sermon on gluttony (social media is OK, but don’t overindulge in it).
The face of the church media is nothing like it used to be.
- The media department of old (pastor or secretary creating the church bulletins or flyers with cheesy graphics) has been replaced with the media department of new (audio, video, online streaming, print media professionally designed, church apps, websites).
The church has become seemingly adaptable to this digital age and continues to progress as technology is allowing it.
- Where we once preached against the wiles of television, we are embracing it now as a form of outreach in the church. Where we once preached against the internet, we are embracing it as a tool of communication with our congregations.
With every other facet of the church being continuously updated as technology allows, this brings up a couple of questions regarding the Bible:
- “Is it wrong using it as your primary Bible?”
- “Is it OK for a Pastor to use it during a sermon?”
- “Is it OK to use when going soulwinning?”
We want to hear from you! What do you think?
Leave us a comment in the section below to let us know what your thoughts are!
Digtal Bible is the word of God excpt that people who have not accessed thought it negatively out of ignorance.I suppose when they get to use their attitudes will change suddenly.
So, if we write it in a picture and frame it, is it still the Word of God? If we etch it on glass on the front doors of our church, is it still the Word of God? If we burn it with a laser into wood, is it still the Word of God? If we screenprint it on tshirts, is it still the Word of God? If we stencil it on the side of our church van, is it still the Word of God? If we paint it on paper and tape it up in church, is it still the Word of God? If we put it up in big letters on our marquee, is it still the Word of God?
#asininetoevenaskthequestion
Yes it is the word of God. Are you suggesting that Gods word loses is author (God!) when placed elsewhere?
If you write the ENTIRE Bible and frame it or etch the entire Bible on glass; or burn the entire Bible with a laser into wood or, were able to screenprint the entire Bible on a T-shirt; or manage to get the entire Bible on a stencil to be added to whatever one chooses; or if you paint the entire Bible or do anything which includes every word from the Word then, YES…yes it IS still the Word of God. In my personal Bible study and at church I still prefer to use a physical copy of the King James Bible that I can hold but there have been a few times when I don’t have my Bible with me but the Bible app on my phone came in perfect to share Scripture with someone.
I had searched for a number of years for the
KJV Bible in chronological order and sadly it could not be found in print. This year I found it on Amazon and downloaded to Kindle app and I’m really enjoying reading it. Friends have told me that Bible reading is done faster when they use their online version as if it holds your attention better and I agree. Maybe it’s because of the light in the device. I still use the Old Black Book for daily Psalms and Proverbs reading. The online reader must however increase their scrutiny for not one jot or tittle changed because the risk is much greater and society has lowered their standards for correct spelling & punctuation. Also while sick and weak, I found an online “Read to me” KJV Bible. What a great tool for folks physically challenged to hold or see the printed or digital. If man is careful to preserve the integrity of the Word of God when publishing, how can it not be fruitful?
Clarification on earlier post:that was A
KJV Chronological “One Year” Bible that I could not find until I found it on amazon
I know we live in a high tec age but I want to see an old leather KJV Bible opened up in Church and at home. It is ok if you are traveling or where it is hard to keep up with your Bible but we still gotta stay with the Book
Amen! Sarah.
The question is why? Is out of tradition we make our decision
What about a synthetic leather KJV?
I’m amazed you or anyone would even ask this question! Anyone who says it is invalid would presumably be saying it must be printed and on paper. But isn’t printing just an earlier technology that is not the same as a hand-written manuscript? And isn’t even a hand-written manuscript a copy of an earlier manuscript, so that only the original written by the prophet himself would be valid, if you took the argument to logical conclusion.
Or maybe you would say that a digital passage in a phone app is suspect. But isn’t that the same as any good Gospel tract that quotes individual scriptures apart from the whole Bible?
I realize that the youth of today is largely addicted to the digital media and rarely pick up a book unless made to to pass a class. But I cannot imagine not being able to write a note in the margin of my Bible and being able to refer back to it in times of trouble, distress or doubt. I began my children at a very early age to love and respect the written Word of God. Therefore at their age now 38-46 they have an intimate relationship with their Bible. Do they use the digital? Of course they do, but only in a case of need when they have a few moments of free time, waiting in line, Dr office, car pool. It affords them easy access and I cannot tell you how many times we have been trying to quote a verse concerning a precept or principle and they whipped out their phone and pulled it up in seconds to expound on their point. Their competitive spirit kicking in there.
Finally, nothing can take the place of a worn, torn, marked up Bible in my opinion. I look forward to the day, when I have passed on, that my children seeking to hear some more wisdom from Mama will leaf through my old Bibles and read the margin notes and see the underlined passages that helped and encouraged me in my walk through life and smile as the “Comforter” comforts them as He did me.
I think anything that helps us to read bible verses and passages is a good tool, including the internet.
Having said that, I also think it takes more effort to write a hand written letter than an email – and more thought and care. And it follows that it takes more thought and effort and care to read and study a printed version of the bible.
Both are useful and serve a purpose. What is more important is that we are doers of the Word not hearers only, thereby deceiving ourselves, otherwise like someone who sees his image in a glass and forgets what he saw.
A lack of teaching in this information age, is the least of our problems. A lack of compassionate love, koinonia, body life (love growing cold) is more the problem, in my book.
I have both…I enjoy Bible app on my NOOK and yes I use it in church and my quite time as well as with my bible study. To find a book is very easy and convenient. I do love my BOOK also because I can look up foot notes also. My bible on my NOOK is just the bible with no foot notes.
It is still God’s Word, whether spoken, written, printed or ‘digital’. (KJV of course)
But for me, I just feel the presence and love of God SO MUCH MORE with the ‘old BOOK’ laying in my lap! I find myself hugging and sometimes kissing my leather bound Bible. It seems God just oozes from it! That, and actually turning pages makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something.
I use my paper copied King James Bible as well as my downloaded King James Bible app. I find the word searches easier to use in my apps rather than clogging around my strongs concordance. It allows me to get much study done while travelling or away from my office, desk. The words are what is the Scripture, not the medium by which it is read. Technology in itself is not evil, it is perversion of technology and misuse of technology that is wrong. Hope this helps.
Just as much a Bible, with this type of Bible, and audio too, we can read through the Bible and be able to study it more than ever before. What would take hours to look up takes seconds now. Gives more time to pray and meditate & memorize. If we would take advantage of filling our lives with the Word of God, what a differenct it would make (although I fear it is read less today than ever before!).
”Is the Bible in digital form still the Word of God?” Is a braille bible for a blind person still a KJB? How about an audio KJB for a deaf person. The Word of God is exactly that. The method of delivery (media) is unimportant.
Your remaining questions ”Is it wrong using it as your primary Bible?” ”Is it OK for a Pastor to use it during a sermon?” and “Is it OK to use when going soulwinning?” deal with preferences.
Jesus was once judged because he did not wash before eating. He responded that Pharisees often wash the outside of the cup, but not the inside. Pharisees put their attention on superficial matters, rather than on spiritual matters. The issue of printed Bible vs. digital Bible is also a superficial matter that disregards the good it does for those who read it. Like the Pharisees who ascribed spiritual power to the washing of a cup, Christians can also be superstitious and ascribe good spiritual power to the printed Bible, and evil spiritual power to the digital Bible.
The Old KJV in print will never lose its power,if a battery goes out or a electrical power outage,the old KJV in print will just keep marching on!! (just a thought)
It is much easier and faster for me to study Gods Word via digital means. I have the original KJB text in large print right in front of me. I have an instant concordance that is much faster than looking things up maually. I have a search engine to look up nearly any question I have. I have facebook to read what wonderful men of God are saying, such as Bob Gray Sr. The new technology is my friend. Even in Bible study.
The Bible is the Bible in any form. There is nothing wrong with using this as your primary Bible at all. As for writing and taking notes many versions allow you to highlight and make notes anywhere you please so that wouldn’t be an issue. I personally still enjoy having an actual Bible in my hand but there is nothing wrong with accepting the digital age and using a Bible on your phone or tablet. I don’t see anything wrong with a pastor using it to preach out of it. I know several who do and it allows them to have there notes, Bible and PowerPoint all off one device. It becomes a convenience and can be a help to the pastor but again that is all personal preference. Now to the subject of soul winning I see nothing wrong with using it on soul winning. I feel though the person you are talking to may not listen as well perhaps to you with an iPad per se in your hand as he might with a Bible but it can be used if needed again it comes down to personal preference and Christian liberty. It is not a sin therefore it’s up to you as a believer to make your decision on if you want to use it or not. But we should not let it become a point of contention in the church or an issue if someone does use the Bible off a phone/tablet that’s their choice. It’s not worth petty fighting and arguing we should rather be concerned with the spread of the Gospel and reaching of the world!
A digital Bible is just as much the Word as any hard copy of the Scriptures. One must realize that we have been given a great amount of blessings and as such we will have much more required of us. In the past we have heard Pastors preaching about listening to the Word on Cassette, while they were traveling, now they can listen on their phone or tablet. When you want to read your Bible you don’t have to choose to pull out a full size version that weighs 5 lbs but you can read or a pocket size that you need a magnifier to know what you are reading. To me, the thought that a digital version is anything less than a printed version is just foolish. I wonder if they had these thoughts when they used the printing press instead of hand written Bibles?
The Bible is the Word of God. It does not matter how His Word is disseminated.The important thing is that it does not get altered to fit the agenda of humanity..
Regarding the Bible:
My personal opinion is that the printed word of God as used by the majority of church members should be held up by the preacher when preaching.this is merely a preference. A pastor in his own independent Church can make that call for himself as directed by God for His ministry.There is nothing in Scripture that tells us any guidelines on how the Bible should be written in the ages to come and so without a Scripture basis we would be going off of preference.
You cannot build doctrine on personal preference.
Regarding Social Media and New Technology:
The technology of today is a powerful tool for good and an influential tool for evil. I believe that we should use technology to spread the gospel and the Word of God.
However many times it seems that Christians and churches spend more TIME trying to get the word out through new technological means and the time that spent is time that could have been used in prayer, soul winning, visiting, etc. We should ask: “What are we taking time from today to utilize this technology? The pastor who is utilizing his smartphone tools could ask what would a pastor have done with this same amount of time 30 years ago?
I heard a preacher once state that we have all been given the same amount of time in a day. You have been given 24 hours and I have been given 24 hours.
What are we doing with the time that we have been given? Time is a gift from God and we are to redeem the time. I think the issue at hand is how much time are we spending creating colorful graphics, archiving sermons,uploading the latest and greatest church app etc… Compare that answer to the time we are spending
winning souls, praying, studying the word of God and the such.
We have massive buildings and tremendous technological helps in the church today, but where are the revivals of yesterday? Where are the souls walking the aisle convicted to be saved? Could it be that we spend so much time on social media and our other tools that we haven’t sought the face of God? The issue here could be how we have used our T I M E.
On a personal note, there just seems to be something refreshing about walking into an old time church without the stage lights, screens playing Etc, and just sitting and hearing a preacher give you what God has given to him.
Whatever direction may be that God gives to each ministry, the focus should always be the Word of God and the P R E A C H I N G of the Word of God.
If its not on a scroll, its not the Word of God!
Would a scrollbar count?