ESV Reader’s Bible: a review
The more believers read the Bible, the more I recommend new approaches. We can get into a rut of just reading. Our chronological schedule is the fruit of a church project where I preached through the Bible chronologically while we were all reading the same thing. Two year program. One of the most profitable periods in our ministry.
your mention of the NIV chronological Bible prompted me to check CBD. There are several options available.
I might try one of those out. I’ll probably argue with some of their chronological choices, no doubt!
Maranatha!
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3
I don’t have the ESV Reader’s Edition, but I did make it a point to get a single-column ESV. It’s laid out in paragraphs, much like a “normal” book. The verse numbers are very, very small (you easily forget they’re there). The chapter numbers are somewhat prominent, but it’s pretty much like reading a normal book. I think the standard, double-column layout is odd and I don’t know why Bible publishers keep using it.
Tyler is a pastor in Olympia, WA and works in State government.
The reason for 2 columns in Bibles is classic typesetting—the jigs that held the type were limited in size, so old, classic, worthwhile books are often printed this way. So if you want to convey to a lot of customers that what’s in there is classic and worthwhile, you go with Gutenberg, more or less.
Might change over the next few decades with Kindle reading and such, but for historical reference.
For my part, regarding paper, I’m just glad that the paper they used for a lot of books when I was growing up is gone—the stuff that would turn brown after a few years because they hadn’t gotten the acid out that the paper mill used to dissolve the lignin in the pulpwood. Yes, I love other sources of cellulose for paper, like cotton/rag paper, but for me, the fact that nobody uses anything but acid free paper anymore is such a blessing.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
Doesn’t two columns allow more text per page also? It seems so to me.
for preaching, I prefer the verse by verse set up, although these days I find myself putting most of my passages on the screen via PowerPoint, then reading from the screen. There are pluses and minuses with this, of course.
Maranatha!
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3
Think about it, Don; two columns has space in the middle, one does not. So if you’re using the same font, you get less text per page, all else the same, with two columns.
There might be the possibility of ease of reading, but obviously that would be disputed, too.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
A PowerPoint!? You Convergent, you!
Tyler is a pastor in Olympia, WA and works in State government.
Yeah, well… my wife likes it. (and she’s older than me!)
Maranatha!
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3
[Don Johnson]I wrote a blog for our church people with various plans, you can find it here. My 2018 Chronological plan is there, it is my most current version. I’ll do an update in December to publish a 2019 plan.
I also have links to some nice alternate plans provided by the Navigators, and Murray M’cheyne’s plan also.
Thanks Don!
I’m late back to this conversation but did a search on YouVersion searching reading plan using the word chronological and see a whole list of Chronological reading plans, some one year other shorter and I see one divided up into 90 segments. I forget about how vast of a resource YouVersion is.
As an addition to this conversation I received a sample of Immerse, The immersion reading Bible from Tyndale today. It is Ephesians and is set-up similarly to what Don reviewed. I’ve been using 5 different translations for my personal reading switching back and forth, not always using the same ones each year. Over the past 13 years I have enjoyed reading the NLT which is what Tyndale is using for this.http://immersebible.com/
Paul, the website says they have no section headings at all, have you noticed any?
Interesting project, they seem to be taking an innovative approach to book order, somewhat chronological, and also “apostolic origin” orientation. You would have to look inside “Book 1” on their site to see what I mean.
Maranatha!
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3
[Don Johnson]Paul, the website says they have no section headings at all, have you noticed any?
Interesting project, they seem to be taking an innovative approach to book order, somewhat chronological, and also “apostolic origin” orientation. You would have to look inside “Book 1” on their site to see what I mean.
That’s interesting Don. I had only looked at the sample they sent to me. As you said it is more in themes then chronological.
Regarding section headings I do not see any of those. In the sample of Ephesians they have nothing just the book title and then into it. The first two verses separated as stand alone. Having the 2 sentences of verse 1 separated, the first describing and defining Paul and the second explaining who he is writing to. Then verse two alone. for before getting into the text at what is verse 3 Other then the paragraph breaks it has three districted breaks. The first after verse 2 and then the second after Paul’s prayer at the end of chapter 3 and the last in chapter 6 between verses 20 and 2, between the body and the close. The whole book Ephesians is 8 pages. I see they have a lot of sample readings you can do on the site.
Discussion