If you saw Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ, you may be asking yourself did the events portrayed really happen or if Jesus really made the statements depicted in the movie. Well, the beauty of the Web is that you can go to the original source material and read it for yourself or even download your own copy for free. And even better, you can discover other resources that you may have been unaware of.

Certainly the Bible has numerous translations and in almost every modern language covered and most are available on the Internet. But some of my favorite readings come from the early Church Fathers. Here one can verify whether modern church beliefs are consistent with the early church. Reading such authors as Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna – Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch - and Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, can be very interesting; for example, Polycarp was a disciple of the Apostle John. He wrote several letters (which are available on-line) before he was burned alive at the stake. Ignatius was killed by lions in the Roman arena, but before he died, he wrote numerous letters which you can read today. Irenaeus is invaluable for reading of the trials, tribulations and beliefs of the early Church. In fact, Irenaeus, who was born sometime around 125 A.D., is probably the first Christian author to refer to the earth as a sphere.

So this holiday season become informed. Check out some of these fascinating Web sites and free software below and be one of the few who actually knows something of what they are talking about!

For a free Bible and Bible study software:

Bible Gateway

http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible

Look it up on-line

Theophilos Bible Software

http://www.theophilos.sk/

A polished multimedia presentation with numerous free and commercial add-ons.

e-Sword Bible Software

http://www.e-sword.net/index.html

Free Bible software with a seemingly endless list of free add-ons including maps and graphics.

Sword Project Bible Software

http://www.crosswire.org/sword/software/biblecs/index.jsp

This free software is covered by the GNU Public License and has a terrific list of free and commercial add-ons.

Bible Plus by Contact Plus Corporation

http://www.contactplus.com/products/freestuff/bibleplus.htm

If you want a small, simple and quick program to just look up a verse then this free utility if for you. While you are there, also check out some of the other products, both free and commercial, Stats is one of my favorites.

Bible Database

http://bibledatabase.com/free_bible_software.htm

Christian Web Hosting + FREE Bibles, Bible Study Software

The Gutenberg Bible

http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/permanent/gutenberg/

The first book printed with movable type 1454-55

Got a Question?

Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry

http://www.carm.org/

Answers to some tough questions.

Probe Ministries

http://www.probe.org/

Lots of answers to common and some uncommon questions.

Christian Research Institute

http://www.equip.org

Home of The Bible Answer Man radio program.

Reasoning from the Scriptures

http://home.earthlink.net/~ronrhodes/

Dr. Ron Rhodes, some tough questions answered.

Stand to Reason

http://str.org/index.htm

Greg Koukl and Stand to Reason radio program.

Read the writings of the early Church Fathers and other figures in Church history

The Early Church Fathers at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library at Calvin College

http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/

The Internet Christian Library

http://www.iclnet.org/

Guide to early church documents

http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/christian-history.html

Early Church On-Line Encyclopedia

http://www2.evansville.edu/ecoleweb

“Early Church On-Line Encyclopedia (Ecole) Initiative is a cooperative effort on the part of scholars across the internet to establish a hypertext encyclopedia of early Church history (to the Reformation) on the World-Wide Web.”

Rob Rice is a member of the Oklahoma City PC User’s Group and a computer specialist in Anchorage, Alaska. He is also a graduate of the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Atlanta GA. Rob can be contacted at articles@isp.com.