(Part 2) Top products from r/Bible

To become a better person takes intentionality, meaning you have to make a decision to make a change every time something new and unwholesome presents itself to you regarding yourself. The Bible is certainly a plumb line on major things to do to become a better person, but it's also full of pictures of individuals who showed the way for being amazing people.

I've found that the more I study leadership, psychology, emotional intelligence, etc., the more I see a blue print for it in the Bible, in particular, demonstrated by Christ himself.

If you want to be the best version of yourself, study servant-based leadership. Jesus was a servant leader. The apostles learned from Jesus how to be servant leaders. Servant leadership is the mortal granularity that made the gospel so transformative and helped it spread like a wildfire. If you are essentially having to "sell" a new religious belief system in the 1st century, you've got to be able to believe the salesman as well as the integrity of the product, right? The product is salvation and the sales pitch is a new way of walking in freedom and living a wholesome, abundant life. Christ's leadership model did just that.

If you want some good reads on leadership, check these out, and then read the new testament chapter by chapter and verse by verse. Keep in mind, you don't need a title or position to be a leader -- that's what servant leadership is all about.

"Spiritual Leadership" by J. Oswald Sanders: Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence For Every Believer (Sanders Spiritual Growth Series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802416705/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_u.ZhDbPEN8952

"Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis: Mere Christianity https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060652926/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Ma0hDbTCSG70T

More leadership for business and for life:

"The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" by John C. Maxwell: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You (10th Anniversary Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0785288376/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_cc0hDbRCMAGMZ

"The 5 Levels of Leadership" by John C. Maxwell: The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential https://www.amazon.com/dp/1599953633/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6c0hDbK4RV56Y

>-Between size 8-10.5ish font (sometimes referenced as “comfort font”) but not “Giant Font” which is usually 12 and above which is way too large for me to follow a consistent thought.

FYI "Comfort Print" doesn't refer to a font size - it refers to the specific fonts Thomas Nelson/Zondervan commissioned from 2K Denmark - a company that typesets most new Bibles now.

>-Pages with regular thickness I would prefer not to read a “thinline” Bible, because those pages are often so thin that I would get distracted by the text from the previous page showing up behind the page as your read the text on the page you’re on. Also, generally to make a “thinline” Bible so thin, they have to shrink the text size anyway so it would likely not fit the second criteria of being at least a size 8 font.

Unless you've already looked at the newer comfort print thinlines in person and don't like the opacity, I'd reconsider your avoidance of them. I have a NKJV Comfort Print Thinline (the NIV one should be printed on the same paper) and the reading experience is identical when compared to the ESV Reference Bible I also have. The thing is - the ESV Reference Bible has a thicker paper.

This is because of the use of two things - titanium dioxide and line-matching. Titanium dioxide is a powder which scatters light - making a page more opaque. It also makes the page look more white. Line-matching is making sure that when a page is printed, the text on both sides match up with each other, instead of one page's text being shifted up or down. When you read the text you can't really see what's behind the page.

Also they make these thinlines with 10.5 pt font. Here. They only contain the text and the translators' notes which have always been a part of the NIV and every translation but the KJV (unfortunately).

Also, what are these "custom Bible making websites", just out of curiosity? I'm only aware of rebinders who will replace the cover and maybe make the spine stronger. If a company were to print the NIV they'd require permission from Biblica since Biblica holds the NIV's copyright.

I hope you find what you're looking for, and if you have any follow up questions feel free to ask!

Just watch out for the single volume ESV readers. It’s got the typical thin paper. (I enjoyed it to be clear but doesn’t meet your requirement of paper thickness) The real readers bible are really designed and formatted like a typical book. And don’t go for the cheaper softcover esv multivolume set as I’ve read complaints on the quality.

I highly recommend everyone try a readers bible tho.

Here are some options in ESV that all have normal thick paper.

https://www.amazon.com/Readers-Bible-Cloth-Permanent-Slipcase/dp/1433553473?

https://www.amazon.com/Readers-Gospels-Cloth-Board-Timeless/dp/1433549816/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?

https://www.amazon.com/Gospels-Readers-Cloth-over-Board/dp/143356209X/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?

https://www.amazon.com/Readers-Letters-Paul-Cloth-Board/dp/1433557967/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr2_1?

If you prefer NIV their multivolume hardcover set is about half the price of the ESV. Pretty sure we’ll be having more translation coming out in this format soon.

NIV


https://www.amazon.com/NIV-Sola-Scriptura-Bible-Project/dp/0310448123/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?

What is WC?

I watched some of the 9/11 video. Self-sacrifice is associated with goodness, but then the Islamic terrorists also practiced self-sacrifice, so self-sacrifice by itself isn't enough. Good judgement is also needed. Also, 2000 was still better than now. There probably were some good people at that time, it is only in the last few years that I have seen all traces of goodness disappear.

Romans 12:2 is something I quote to Christians all the time (at least I did when I dealt with them). Of course I wish Christians would follow this, but only traditional Anabaptists seem to. Mainstream Christianity is completely conformed to this age.

I haven't read "Night" by Elie Wiesel. I know enough about this topic since most of family died in the Holocaust and my father escaped from a Nazi work camp and then fought, blowing up German trains. Individuals can make the most difference when there is open war between good and evil, by siding with good. But when one is surrounded by ubiquitous evil, as in modern culture, it is much harder to make a difference.

Ancient Israel was a case of constant conflict between good and evil with good generally being the minority. Still, at least there always seemed to be at least one prophet of good, which is better than today.

Most of what Jesus says is consistent with the Old Testament, and his opinion of Solomon is no exception. Solomon clearly violated Deuteronomy 17:14-20.

I didn't write much about the New Testament because modern Christianity doesn't work. But here is one thing I wrote:

http://www.mikraite.org/Who-is-my-neighbor-tp481.html

About history, please don't waste your time on YouTube and on history books. Only original sources have value. Here are some books that you may find interesting:

https://www.amazon.com/Reformation-Reader-Primary-Texts-Introductions/dp/0800663101/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GJGIDQ/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607961806/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140444203/

https://www.amazon.com/002-American-History-Revolution-1765-1865/dp/0394705416/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0394708423/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140455280/

To understand the world wars, probably the best book to read is Mein Kampf.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LDLI0S/

Like with religion, one has to get as close to the source as possible in history to find truth.

I’d recommend Greg Koukl’s book The Story of Reality.

Basically, Christianity is the best explanation for why the world is how it is. Other religions or avenues of philosophical thought can have good insights on the human experience, but only Christianity truly explains it.

I have this thinline NIV edition: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310448468/ It's about an inch thin but it's not pocket size, it's a very comfortable size for taking to small group. The pages are not so thin that the text bleeds through on each page, I find it comfortable to read and like you I'm sensitive to the text bleeding through on too-thin pages.

It has comfort-size font (10 pt I think) and no articles, no images, no commentary. Occasionally there is a brief footnote with another translation of a word or a verse reference. But these are really 1-2 words, not an actual study footnote.

If you're willing to have a hardcover, here is a non-thinline version: https://www.amazon.com/Value-Worship-Bible-Hardcover-Black/dp/0310446201/

I prefer NRSV, because it is a translation into modern English that is committed to fidelity to the originals rather than to current doctrine.

I recommend against KJV, because it isn't even modern English, and it was translated from poor manuscripts.

I think this is an excellent study Bible.

Any Study Bible by Zondervan is very good.
They have many different ones. Cultural Backgrounds, Faithlife, Life Application, Question and Answer, Early Jewish context, Theology, etc.

NIV Study Bible, Hardcover, Red Letter Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310438926/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_sFgsDbYCY55K9

NIV, Quest Study Bible, Hardcover: The Question and Answer Bible https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310941482/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VGgsDb42X0ZWK

https://www.amazon.com/MacArthur-Bible-Commentary-John/dp/0785250662/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=john+macarthur+commentary&qid=1562853014&s=gateway&sprefix=john+macarthur+commentary&sr=8-2

And if you really want to go in depth
https://www.amazon.com/MacArthur-New-Testament-Commentary-volumes/dp/0802413471/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=john+macarthur+commentary&qid=1562853117&s=gateway&sprefix=john+macarthur+commentary&sr=8-3

The greek word is μοναὶ, which is the feminine plural nominative form of μονή, which is in turn the noun form of the verb "μένω" which means, "I dwell, remain, or abide"

So it just means "In my father's house, there are many dwellings/places to live."

The word mansion comes from the Latin word manere, which means "to remain or dwell", which borrows the term from the Greek.

So "mansions" is technically an accurate translation, but I don't think the word meant to evoke the idea that we get when we think of a mansion today.

Essentially Jesus is saying that there are many places for people to live in God's house, and Jesus is going to prepare places for them.

Sources: The BDAG (Offline Resource) for the Greek and Online Etymology Dictionary for the Latin.

I know Oxford put out a ESV that had the Septuagint list of Old Testament books. Here it is https://www.amazon.com/English-Standard-Version-Bible-Apocrypha/dp/0195289102 but it’s out of print as far as I know.

For personal use: NRSV (NRSV Catholic Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/0061441716/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_RXNcAbRPH70YR)


Or for personal study: New Oxford (The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha: New Revised Standard Version https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195289609/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MWNcAb00WK17X)

Edit: Remember that translation is itself an act of interpretation.

Some of the Psalms are known as "Imprecatory Psalms". In here, the psalmist is expressing his anger verbally to and through God, as a way of channeling those negative emotions rather than letting them out in violent actions, either verbally or physically, to other people or things.

Most of these imprecatory psalms are a part of lament psalms that were written in response to the Israelites' sufferings during that time, such as during their exile (see Psalm 137).

What is important here to note is that these imprecatory psalms do not contradict Jesus' teachings on love. The word "hate" can also mean "to be unable to put up with" and "to reject". So for example 139:22, the psalmist is expressing his inability to put up with those who hate God.

If you're interested in learning more, I recommend these books:
http://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Bible-All-Worth/dp/0310246040/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415814178&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+read+the+bible+for+all+its+worth

http://www.amazon.com/Read-Bible-Changing-Times-Understanding/dp/0801072832/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415814197&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+read+the+Bible+in+changing+times