This is a debate in the Christian community, that sometimes takes the form of shaming between traditionalists and everyone else. It is an argument that has produced a false dichotomy; one that the enemy loves us spending our time on, taking our attention off of God. Let’s dive in.
Having a mobile app these days to access God’s word is essential! Not where you thought I was going with this huh? In fact, I use the YouVersion Bible app as a tool to prompt myself to stay in the word daily. Bible apps provide many benefits like a ‘verse of the day’ reminder to pull me back into scripture, and joint reading plans so that I can dive deeply with others. This is the basis for our YouTube channel – Men On Fire, which is designed to be a low barrier to entry, getting men back in the word. However, some think having an app or a YouTube channel is a full replacement, and perhaps haven’t touched a physical Bible in months or years. With that in mind, let’s look at the other side of this.
I heard a great sermon recently on how using it as your main or only source to scripture can be detrimental. For example, when I pull out my phone at church to follow along in scripture, I cannot avoid seeing the notifications at the top of the screen, even when I don’t want to see them, they are there. My attention is fractured, even when I don’t click on them. By bringing a physical Bible to any time of fellowship such as a worship service, a community group meeting, or a bible study, I have prevented myself from needing to pull my phone out of my pocket. If I don’t even feel the need to reach for it, then I cannot be distracted by the other voices always competing for my attention. They seek to pull me away from my connection with God. Yes, even just receiving something as simple as a text message can be a tool the enemy uses to distract you from divine inspiration. To that end, I recently bought a new Bible, called Maxwell Leadership, and I am loving the difference I have noticed in non-fractured time with God.
Another strength where physical Bibles shine is in their focused nature. Digital Bible apps provide many more features than just access to scripture. This is great for gaining understanding above and beyond God’s word, but these additional perks can also have the unintended side-effect of becoming a replacement for focused deep dives into raw scripture. God wants to reveal life-changing insights by speaking to us through His word. You must have an intrinsic belief that God’s word is perfect and without error, and itself has power to transform. Otherwise, why read it at all? Having a physical study bible allows me to get the best of both worlds, gaining insights where needed. After using a Bible app for years, I prefer to grab my physical Bible when I am able, due to the much higher page real-estate spent on God’s actual word, not interpretations of it.
Keep in mind, while many devotionals are powerful, they are still written by flawed humans. Some think the Bible needs modern interpretation for our lives in the 21st century, and thus seek out only man-made devotionals. Even devotionals that are well-intentioned, remove you many times from scripture, and you are now trying to get divine inspiration in a second-hand manner. You are beholden to the opinion of the human author, but they were the ones who already experienced that connection to God, not you. Yes, does God provide wisdom through other believers? You bet; however, God wants us to use his word as the primary litmus test for our lives, holding everything up to the light of its veracity. Many devotionals have an interpretive summary that is longer than the scripture passage itself. So, ask yourself a simple question; “Have I read more God-breathed scripture lately, or more second-hand interpretations of it?” A hallmark of a healthy believership is exemplified in daily time spent in scripture, as this shows trust that God’s word can be ‘enough,’ and that you rely on it first and foremost to reveal the guidance you seek.
In this article I supported both mobile Bible apps as well as physical Bibles depending on the context and situation. I want to close with pointing us to scripture, to be sure that I’m not just a clanging gong here in this article. Look to Genesis, the model definition of the first family of origin; God and his children walking in the garden, the children in full obedience in both heart and deed. They were on the right path as long as they were connected and listening to God’s voice. He would speak with them, and they would listen. The first time they stumbled was when they started listening to a different voice.
