Pastoral Companions: Bible Translations and Editions for Ministry and Discipleship, Part 2

“Write thy own words upon my heart and inscribe them on my lips; So shall all glory be to thee in my reading of thy Word!” 

— “A Minister’s Bible,” Valley of Vision

Series Introduction

One of the greatest privileges of vocational ministry is sustained contact with God’s Word. We not only use the Scriptures for our own growth in discipleship, but also as the primary tool for our work. Much like a professional electrician with a bag of tools, our Bibles are constantly at hand. Whether it’s Monday’s morning Bible study, Tuesday’s evening counseling session, Thursday’s coffee shop evangelism, or Sunday’s worship service, we’re constantly reaching for the Bible. And so, over time, we develop a particular fondness for this or that one, just like those in the trades have their favorite wrench or knife: the right tool for the job, purchased with intention, used with love. 

This series explores the Bible from a functional perspective: selecting translations and editions for ministry and discipleship.

In this post, I’ll consider the five categories of Bibles I go to most, with some specific considerations and recommendations for each category. You may be a seminarian wondering which Bible to buy on a tight budget, or a freshly ordained minister wondering what to get for full-time ministry, or a congregant wanting to offer a gift to a beloved pastor, or simply a Christian wanting to get the most out of your Bible. Whatever your need, this post is for you.

What type of Bible do I need?

Just like the proliferation of translations, these days, there is no shortage of English editions available. The sheer volume of choices is stunning. Each major translation will certainly be available in multiple editions, with multiple cover materials and designs. There are literally hundreds of options available. 

To help us navigate this glut of choices, I think we need to some insight from another profession. In his best-selling book Kitchen Confidential, then-executive chef Anthony Bourdain expressed his disdain for the huge knife blocks that aspiring home cooks often get, filled with a wide variety of blades. His advice: start with one good knife, then add on a few more essentials.

This is a good word for ministry professionals. We don’t need a ton of options; we just need a few highly functional, high-quality tools in our kit. 

I boil the basic ministry needs down to five categories: 

1. The Reading Bible.
2. The Study Bible.
3. The Preaching Bible.
4. The Travel Bible.
5. The Gift Bible.

There can be overlap within these categories. For example, a simple ESV Thinline can be your reading, preaching, travel, and gift Bible. Or, your favorite reading Bible might also be your favorite study Bible. (See the final conclusions for my “if you can only buy two” recommendation.) Of course, you can supplement many of these needs with a quality mobile app or computer software, as I’ll note below. But with studies consistently showing that reading physical books leads to better retention, there is much value in spending time with the printed Word, in hand.

Within each category, we’ll focus on six important considerations to help decide which edition best meets your needs:

1. Purpose: what are you using this Bible for?
2. Font: how big are the words, and what color are the words?
3. Size and Weight: how big is the Bible, relative to use?
4. Features: what does it include besides the text of Scripture itself?
5. Constitution: how robust are the materials?
6. Price: what can you personally afford?

With those categories and considerations in mind, here are some editions to consider, with my own subjective thoughts sprinkled in.

The Reading Bible

1. Purpose: This Bible will be your primary personal devotional reader.
2. Font: Because this will be your most sustained engagement with the text, you should prioritize reading comfort. For some, that will mean a larger font. For others, it will mean a lighter weight. As a guy with poor eyesight, I value a larger font, and because this Bible largely stays put, I can tolerate the larger size that comes with the bigger font. I don’t like “words of Christ in red,” so the darker the printing, the better.
3. Size and Weight: A bigger font means bigger footprint, which means more weight or bigger pages. If you are not traveling with this Bible regularly, you can afford to select a larger reading Bible, but beware the exhaustion of holding a massive volume for a sustained reading session. Unless you are reading with the Bible on a table or desk, I recommend looking for a “hand sized” Bible with a reasonable font, to balance both font size and weight.
4. Features: As this is your personal Bible, your preferences lead the way with desired features. You may want a beefy reading Bible with lots of cross-references, maps, and margins for notes. Or, you may want a Bible stripped of almost everything but the simple Word.
5. Constitution: If your reading Bible is largely staying put at home or the study, your selection doesn’t have to be as robust as a travel Bible. At the least, look to something with a real leather cover (I’ve had too many TruTone or leatherette covers shred after only a few years to trust them). If you have the desire or means, the reading Bible is a great place to invest in an heirloom Bible, as you can use it without fear of dropping coffee on it at the coffee shop (unless it’s your own coffee at home!).
6. Price: On the economy end, you can get a great reading Bible for $30-40, with high-end heirloom Bibles running $200-300.

ESV Thinline Bible. Again, go for a leather cover. Also available in large print. Words of Christ are in red in most of these editions.

ESV Journaling Bible: Font size is smaller in these, but a journaling Bible can be a great way to engage the text on a personal level.

ESV Reader’s Bible, single volume edition. For readers wanting a distraction-free reading experience, these editions present the text and only the text. (See also the CSB version of this edition in multiple volumes.)

ESV Large Print Thinline or Single Column Heritage edition. The Large Print Thinline edition is quite large and floppy, but with a wonderfully-readable font and cross-references. The Heritage is thicker and more hand-sized, single column, with no references. It is also available in a premium heirloom edition, definitely pricey, but can be worth it if you consider a lifetime of use, and the capacity to pass it down to the next generation.

Cambridge Clarion. A wonderful blend of portability and readability, with tastefully-laid out references and a wonderful reference section.

Other heirloom publishers include R.L. Allen Bibles and Schuyler Bibles.

The Study Bible

1. Purpose: The study Bible bridges the gap between a full commentary and your reading Bible, enabling you to grasp the larger context of each book, plus specifics of the verses through a running, shorter textual commentary.
2. Font: Since these are distinct editions, you will have less choice regarding font size. You’ll be choosing this Bible for the features, not font. However, the size of the commentary notes need to be readable to you, so look for examples of those sections before buying.
3. Size and Weight: Almost all study Bibles will be quite large, but some are larger than others, and a few come in compact size (which will impact the font size and accessibility). Again, you’ll be choosing this Bible almost exclusively on content and features, but if you intend to haul it around regularly, know what you’re getting into before buying.
4. Features: This is the bread and butter of the study Bible. Here, you’ll find maps, introductions, outlines, study notes, and articles, tailored to your interests and goals. I recommend starting with a more generic study Bible, like Crossway’s ESV Study Bible or Reformation Study Bible, as these will offer the maximum benefit for all readers. After that, you can look into the specialty study Bibles for your needs.
5. Constitution: These are big, bulky Bibles that need the have a binding that can keep up. Most are up for the task, but read reviews about binding before buying. Your main question here will be hardcover versus softcover. Hardcover allows the Bible to stand upright on a shelf, and helps keep the Bible together. Sometimes softcovers get too floppy due to the size. Some don’t like the rigidity of a hardcover, though, so leather might be preferable. (Again, prioritize the longevity of real leather over the affordability or color options of “leather like.”)
6. Price: Many of these volumes are relatively affordable, at $40-60, depending on cover materials.

ESV Study Bible: A modern classic, and the perfect “first study Bible” for a college student, seminarian, or someone new to personal study. 

Reformation Study Bible: This was recently updated with high-quality notes and articles from a team of scholars, aiming to bring Reformation teaching into the hands of all churchgoers.

CSB Ancient Faith Study Bible: My favorite niche study Bible, with notes taken exclusively from early church writers. This Bible doesn’t have a traditional study introduction to each book, but gives an overview of each book’s content with references to the early church’s engagement with it. Truly a delightful resource for depending your appreciation for church history in a devotional fashion. (And at around $50 retail, this is a steal!)

ESV Church History Bible: Similar to the Ancient Faith Study Bible, this includes notes from ancient, medieval, Reformation, and modern church history. It is broader in focus, but also includes several strong articles for appreciating and learning from church history, something the former lacks. 

The Preaching Bible

1. Purpose: If you are a regular preacher, it can be helpful to have a dedicated preaching Bible with some features that make public reading easier.
2. Font: Prioritize larger words and larger verse numbers. There’s nothing worse than saying “look with me at Verse Twelve,” and then not being able to find Verse Twelve! For specifics, I recommend looking for a font size above 9.0, especially if you want a Bible you can preach from for many years to come.
3. Size and Weight: larger words means a larger size, so also consider how you use the Bible in the sermon. Do you hold your Bible during the sermon (raising the significance of weight), or is your pulpit smaller (raising the significance of footprint)? For me, the Goldilocks preaching Bible is a larger hand-sized volume, smaller than a study Bible, but with larger fonts than the average pew Bible.
4. Features: In this Bible, you don’t need much other than larger fonts. You don’t need maps. You won’t follow cross-references. On this, I recommend finding a features-light Bible with thicker paper and the ability to lay open flat. Some will prefer double-column, which fits more words per page. Others will prefer single column, for maximum clarity. Be aware, though: Single column will likely require more page-flipping in your sermons. Not a deal-breaker, but something to note.
5. Constitution: You don’t want a frail Bible for preaching. You’re going to carry it, open it, read from it, and get some spit and sweat on it (sorry, it’s true), every week. You’ll probably drop it, and cram it into your bag during a Sunday rush, more times than you can count. You want something with thicker paper, which will make your preaching text easier to read (thicker paper usually means bolder ink and less show-through from other pages). The cover is up to you, although the better paper often comes with a niver cover. Higher-end preaching Bibles will generally come with either goatskin or calfskin leather and will be up for the task for years.
6. Price: I think preaching Bibles are special, and it can be a nice investment or gift. At the same time, note your context and congregation. Be cautious of the tug of materialism and ostentation for preachers. And keep the main thing the main thing: the words inside are the treasure.

ESV Pew Bible: Simple, robust, affordable, and the exact thing your hearers are looking at. I preached fondly from an ESV Pew Bible for years, setting it aside when the font and numbers started getting too small to see quickly.

ESV Preaching Bible: This edition emphasizes maximum readability for public reading: larger fonts, thicker paper, and easier-to-identify verse numbers.

ESV Heritage Edition: Similar to the Preaching Edition, but with slightly smaller font and slightly smaller footprint, making it a bit easier to put into the briefcase or satchel.

The Travel Bible

1. Purpose: This is your Bible for ministry on-the-go: pastoral care, visitation, counseling, evangelism, and vacation, if you aren’t on Kindle…
2. Font: Since portability is key, font size tends to suffer. What works for you all depends on your eyesight. 
3. Size and Weight: This Bible should be smaller and hand-held, something you can easily slip into the backpack, carry into the hospital, or use at a shared table at a coffee shop.
4. Features: This Bible can be features-light, but a concordance can be helpful (although these days, I’ll just use my Bible app’s search feature). You don’t need many references, since this isn’t your Bible for lengthy study. Instead, this is where those blank end pages come in handy. I’ve customized my visitation Bible with a “cheat sheet” of go-to verses, some sample prayers, and a monthly Psalms reading list.
5. Constitution: Buy this Bible knowing it will gain scars, but those scars mean that the tool was really used. The cover will get bent from you stuffing it away too quickly as you rush to a forgotten meeting. The pages will accumulate some coffee splatters or grease stains from the coffee shop. You’ll probably hand it to someone as they look for a specific verse; who knows how they’ll treat it. So get something that can stand up to this lifestyle, and something that you won’t mind getting beaten up along the way (TruTone shines in situations like this).
6. Price: Knowing this is a Bible for hard use, I would avoid the heirloom and the economy, and preference a solid mid-tier option that will last. Look for a solidly-built rugged leather Bible, which will keep the weight down and the functionality high.

ESV Large Print Compact Bible: Perfect for an active ministry, this is my top choice for a portable Bible. As I see it, the only downside is the Red Letter printing.

ESV Thinline: Another perfect edition for portability, with cover options ranging from economy, to mid-range, to higher-end.

ESV Waterproof Bible: An intriguing option for portable ministry. This Bible will not stain from coffee, is great for vacationing, and perfect for a prayer retreat outdoors. The waterproof paper makes this Bible somewhat heavy for something with a smaller font, but it can take a beating.

ESV Alpha: A premium version, similar in size and font to the Large Print Compact. If you can afford it, and don’t mind a luxury Bible getting beaten up, this will be worth it.

Cambridge Pitt Minion: A perfect pocket-sized Bible, if you have the eyes for 6.75 font.

Cambridge Clarion: This is a big “chunkier” than the others, but it’s still quite portable and durable for everyday use.

The Gift Bible

1. Purpose: In ministry, you have the wonderful opportunity to gift the Word of God to people regularly. For these, get to know the options available, and have a few favorites available to quickly give away. My favorites include editions for evangelism or an inquirer’s Bible study, for students, and for Christians who are taking the first step in personal Bible knowledge.
2. Font, Size and Weight, Features, Constitution, and Price will be highly variable, but I recommend having at least one large print on hand. Given typical budget constraints, I also recommend finding some of these on sale, or finding a balance between economy and quality. TruTone/Leather-like will probably be your best bet here, as it is much nicer than paperback, but still accessible price-wise. 

ESV Pew Bibles: These are my workhorse, go-to giveaways. You can read about the virtue of the humble Pew Bible here. I love to give these away as often as possible.

ESV Student Study Bible: An excellent gift for pre-teens and teens, new communicants, or other youth interested in growing in their faith.

NLT Thinline: For evangelistic Bible study, especially for those with no church background or “culturally Christian” knowledge, this is my preferred version to give away.

Conclusions

For ministry leaders, our Bibles are our close friends and companions, and selecting the right edition for the right task is a joyous journey. If I had to select only two, I would invest in an ESV Study Bible and the mid-tier Cambridge Clarion, which is large enough for private and public reading, yet portable enough for everyday ministry. No matter what you select, we can be grateful to live in a time of such immense privilege, having the Scriptures available in so many forms. And as we avail ourselves of the Word, we also must prayerfully remember those who hunger for even basic access to the Scriptures. May our proximity to the Bible foster greater love for the Scriptures, for the Church, for the Kingdom, and for God Himself, who speaks to us so kindly in His Word.