Ram & Reason: Free Bible and Bible Study Software for 2006

        By Rob Rice   April 2006

When I was in High School I could not wait to get out. I was committed; once I was out I would never go back to school. The thought of taking another class was probably my worst nightmare. But as a few years past my attitude softened and I enrolled in college. Well, I guess something clicked, (or snapped), because I have now attended eight colleges and universities and have degrees from four of them - and I do not think that I am finished yet! After dozens of professors and classes I have learned two very important lessons: first, college is obscenely expensive and second, read the primary sources.

It is amazing how many times honest, trusting folks just plain got it wrong. They would misquote or claim a text said something that was not there because they relied on hearsay rather than go to the source.

As we slip into April much of the world will be celebrating Passover, Good Friday and Easter. Much will be said about these events by the “experts” and much will be printed. But how do you know what they say is correct? Well, this is an excellent time to go to the source and read it for yourself. This is a time when the Internet shines! Thanks to a group of committed individuals who have thankfully made available the original sources we can read it for ourselves without ever leaving home. Read it or download your own copy for free, there are dozens of free Bible translations and study resources available. No registration, no credit card, no banner ads, no cost.

Some of my favorite readings come from the early Church Fathers. Reading such authors as Polycarp, Ignatius, and Irenaeus, can be fascinating reading as they were contemporaries of the Apostles.

Definitely don’t miss out on the free Bible software. These programs that I have listed below are excellent and a wealth of information – so go ahead, settle in and read a 2500 year old text and marvel at the fact that they are so readily available and for free. And then when the experts come again, you might just have done something that they have not and that’s read the source!


Free Bible and Bible study software:

The Free Christian Software Directory
http://www.seriousd.com/freeware.htm

Bible Gateway
http://www.biblegateway.com/
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/

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 computer specialist in Anchorage, Alaska and a graduate of the Candler School of Theology, at Emory University, Atlanta GA. Rob can be contacted at articles@isp.com.