If the Lord tarries and I decide to get a new primary Bible, I’m going to get two identical copies. One to read, and one to highlight. I don’t like to mark up my reading Bible, as I don’t want previous insights to get in the way of new understandings. I have both a normal and a large print TS2009, but I just couldn’t bring myself to start highlighting in either one. I use the normal size most of the time, but the large print edition is wonderful to read in low-light conditions.
For highlighting and taking notes, I would love to buy an edition with normal-sized text printed on large-print pages. This would give adequate space to highlight and write notes. But alas, such editions don’t seem to exist (yet).
So I bought a paperback edition and have been busily highlighting it. I like this a lot, but there really isn’t space to take notes like I want to. There is barely space for a few cross references and Strong’s numbers.
I have been using the TS2009 for about a year and have become very familiar with it. When looking for specific passages I usually find them by knowing where they are on the page. I was hoping the new paperback would have identical page contents. Well, pretty much. My older TS2009s were the 2016 printing, but the new is the 2018 printing. The minor revisions from the 2016 to the 2018 printings don’t affect the shorter books, but the longer books like Psalms are a little different. It is not much different, but it does slow me down finding verses in the longer books.
Hence the title of the post. If there is a next time, I’ll get two identical copies, one to read and one to highlight.
I discovered an unexpected benefit of having three (almost) identical-page-content Bibles. I am studying Revelation a lot, and often I have all three of them open. I’m reading and marking up the paperback copy, and have the other two open to different Old Testament references. It is very productive comparing Scriptures in different parts of the Bible, versus flipping back and forth in a single Bible.
I forgot one feature I would like to have in my flock of ideal Bibles. I like Old Testament Scriptures to stand out when they are referenced in the New Testament. When I first got my TS2009 I thought I would hate the bold text of the OT references. I thought it would be a distraction. It turns out, I really like it. I find it helpful!
YAHUAH is my Shepherd; I shall not want. TEHILLIYM (PSALMS) 23:1 את CEPHER
to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He is righteous and declares righteous the one who has belief in יהושע. Romiyim (Romans) 3:26 TS2009
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which is in the belief of YAHUSHA HA’MASHIACH. ROMAIYM (ROMANS) 3:26 את CEPHER
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Romans 3:26 KJV
he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Romans 3:26 NIV
It turns out this is my most important criterion. The NIV meets most of my other requirements, but not this one. I switched my primary Bible from the NIV to the TS2009 because I would rather read יהוה (YHWH) than LORD.
Natural, “Bare” Paragraphs
If I’m recalling Bible history correctly, the Geneva Bible was the first to paragraph on chapter and verse.
For me, paragraphing on chapter and verse interferes with understanding. Consider Romans Romans 3:21-26 in several versions. I have turned off verse number display to emphasize my point.
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:21-26 NKJV
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Romans 3:21-26 NIV
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Romans 3:21-26 KJV
But now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the Law, although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets,
Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [And it is meant] for all who believe. For there is no distinction,
Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives.
[All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely andgratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,
Whom God put forward [before the eyes of all] as a mercy seat and propitiation by His blood [the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation, to be received] through faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment.
It was to demonstrate and prove at the present time (in the now season) that He Himself is righteous and that He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has [true] faith in Jesus. Romans 3:21-26 AMPC
For me, the “ease of understanding” is much better for the paragraphing of the NKJV and NIV than the KJV and AMPC, as illustrated by taking a bit of each paragraph type above and reproducing it here:
… by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, …
… by the Law and the Prophets,
Namely, the righteousness of God …
If you would like to download the book of Romans KJV in natural paragraph format to try it for yourself, see this post.
Divine Pronouns in Capital Letters
I greatly prefer the pronoun case of the NKJV over the NIV.
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those whowill believe in Me through their word;21 that they all may be one, asYou, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” John 17:20-21 NKJV
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:20-21 NIV
American Spelling
My mind tends to interpret the British-spelling labour, favour, plough, and armour as mistakes. It interferes with my understanding.
New Words For Clarity
A lot is hidden behind the English word love in this passage.
15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son ofJonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend Mysheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son ofJonah, do youlove Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
I’m going to invent two new English words for love, based on the Greek, agape and philo. (Click the words to see the Strong’s.) My ideal Bible would read like this.
… “Simon, son of Jonah, do you agape Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Master, You know that I philo You.”
If you didn’t know this, are you somewhat shocked? Talk about Jesus and Peter not being on the same page! Here are two links you can use to verify. One (pause your mouse over the word whose Greek you want to see), two.
Identical Layout in Several Sizes
In my TS2009, the well-known passage, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20) is at the top of the first column on a left page, and that is how I quickly find it. It happens to be page 418. I would like to have several different sized Bibles where the words are exactly the same on page 418. One of these is a note taking Bible described in more detail in this post.
This is the basic description of a “family” of Bibles I’d like to have. Have I missed anything?
I don’t highlight or take notes in my primary Bibles. I don’t want yesterday’s insights to get in the way of today’s fresh manna from heaven. But I would love to have a Bible in which to consolidate my understandings! The trouble is, I know of no Bible that has the room for notes. (The note taking Bibles I found online aren’t what I want.) So here is a really simple idea publishers could use. I have both a normal and a large print TS2009.
The idea: Print the normal size text on the large print pages. (Please excuse my novice PhotoShop skills.)
This would give me space to write! Simple, eh?
Other desired features.
Very light background lines, college-ruled or possibly a grid.
Heavy paper so highlighters don’t bleed through.
Seven copies of the book of Proverbs. Just repeat the pages numbers in each copy. The book after Proverbs should have the same page number in the “normal” Bible and the “notetakers” Bible.
It is important that the page contents are the same for both Bibles. As I use a particular Bible, I quickly learn to find specific passages by where they are on the page. They should be “the same Bibles,” just one has much wider margins, and six more copies of Proverbs.
If I had younger eyes, a “downsized” version of this idea would be fine. That is, give me the “pocket-sized edition” text printed in the “normal size” Bible.
When my eyes were younger, no doubt I would have wanted the pocket text on the large print pages. 😉
I have never understood how something can be bothnewandimproved, but I guess it is our American culture. 😉 So here is the New! Improved! Romans KJV Letter With Periodic Chapter:Verse References!
God reminded me there is an easy way I could put Chapter:Verse to the left of the text – margins and indents. Oh, duh! I would prefer a smaller font for the references, and to have the range of the references on the page in the header, but that needs an automated process to avoid both error and mind-numbing tedium. This version is fully usable. At least, I love it. 🙂
If you print on both sides of the paper, I recommend you use high quality paper so highlighters don’t show through to the other side. Here are pictures of the paper and highlighters I used on a prototype. There is no bleed through from one side of the paper to the other. The last photo is back lit to show the other side is indeed highlighted.
While you could just put the pages in a loose-leaf binder, I highly recommend that you take the time to make a booklet of some form. I have been making these types of Bible study helps since the 1980’s and I have used several ways of keeping pages together.
Loose-leaf binders have these drawbacks.
The rings get in the way of writing.
The holes wear out. Even with a 7-ring binder the page holes will wear out.
If you drop the binder, it could spring open, and you could spend a long time getting all the pages back where they belong.
Most important for me, there is some kind of psychological or spiritual difference between pages in a loose-leaf binder and a bound booklet. Loose-leaf has a “temporary, changeable” feeling. This is especially true for me if the ringed binder has many projects. But a bound booklet has a “realness, permanent” feeling for me. If I drop it, pages may get bent but it is not going to come apart. I can grab it and go sit in a comfortable chair to read and study. I can easily show it to someone else. For me, booklets are at least twice as effective as the same pages in a loose-leaf binder. It is subtle, but very, very real.
I went to the Dollar Store and got a hole punch and 3-Prong Binders. Woodworker tip: Clamp everything you can before a cutting operation to avoid spoiling the work. Note the paper clips.
For a better writing surface on the back of the first page, put some pages at the front. I used a piece of card stock and a scrap piece of paper. If I didn’t have the card stock handy I would have used three scrap pages.
Put in the Romans pages, and add extra pages at the end.
Next, bend the pages to prepare the booklet for use. I’m right handed so I start at the end and work towards the beginning. Use care to get the first fold right, especially if it is stiff card stock. Watch the top and bottom areas as you’re bending (arrows below). I could have done a little better on the bottom, but this small boo-boo is ok for this binder. I can still easily see all the Chapter:Verse references.
Fold each page over until you get to the first page. Then rotate the binder 180 degrees and repeat the folding process. Don’t be fooled by the right-side-up text on the scrap paper in the photo. From the pockets you can see it is upside down. Also note this is a good use of bent card stock that won’t go through a printer.
When you are done folding the pages, the booklet is ready for reading and study. Grab your highlighters, pens, and pencils, and have a blast studying Romans!
Oh, and don’t be surprised if you want to make another one someday, to get fresh, new insights. 🙂
Lift Up Your Eyes! 