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Book Review

The Online Bible Deluxe Version; price £45. The Online Bible Classic Version; price £25; published by Online Bible. Available from John Ritchie Ltd.

To an older generation the advent of online resources comes with the impact that Caxton’s printing press had in London around 1476. Many harboured doubts as to the benefits the printing press might bring, fearing in particular that the printed page might unsettle the dispossessed and depressed lower classes of society. Admittedly 600 years of the printed page has not been wholly good. So much that is in print is neither wholesome nor helpful. Much of it feeds the lusts of a godless age. One wonders if, facing 21st century critics of the distasteful fiction publishers now issue, Caxton would still try to defend himself with his famous words: "If ’tis wrong I do, then ’tis a fine and noble wrong." Rightly the advent of ICT is acknowledged to be not wholly good; it too makes available much that corrupts, but used with discretion it can also be as useful to the believer as the printed word has been, in making available in a portable and relatively cheap format resources that will benefit the earnest Christian. In particular, the availability of the Scriptures and concordances in electronic format will be of assistance to so many whose secular work or itinerant preaching requires spending time away from home.

The Deluxe Version of The Online Bible reviewed offers several versions of the Bible in English and several other languages. At additional cost it also provides (by applying an unlock code) What the Bible Teaches and a number of other translations of the Bible. It is worth noting that the software provided for review related solely to the Scriptures including Strong’s Concordance, a number of Bible Dictionaries, Charts and Maps. Excerpts can be printed for ease of reference, if this is preferred.

One drawback to those not familiar with software is its installation. The manual provided with the disks seems at first sight limited but the instructions provided are easy to follow. Those approaching the package with any degree of timidity may find encouragement in the assurance that the basics of using this rich selection of materials is not daunting. However, it may take such users some weeks to use efficiently more than one resource at the same time, for example the AV text, Young’s Literal Translation, Strong’s Concordance and a commentary. Only with time will the user’s confidence grow.

The Online Bible also offers facilities to let the user copy materials that can then be stored on the computer’s hard disk and later accessed. Again those with less experience in the use of computer-based materials will find these facilities easy to use with a little practice. The time spent initially will be amply rewarded in the time saved once the user is confident in the use of The Online Bible.

It is important that users note the licensing conditions on purchasing The Online Bible. Its price is much cheaper than even a small selection of the resources available in hard copy. One would expect that additional resources will be become available (DV) for downloading to allow the user’s online library to grow. Indeed the selection of commentaries at the moment includes few writers whose books are on the shelves of assembly believers, the exception being the What the Bible Teaches series. The library provided in the Deluxe Version of the package are devotional books, sermons and some expositional volumes.

The Publishers do not claim that The Online Bible will lead to increased devotion to the Lord and His Word. Nor will it inspire the disinterested to become diligent students of the Scriptures. It will certainly provide at relatively modest price a library of resources that will be useful to Christians of all ages. The Publishers describe the package as "quick, powerful, versatile, easy to use Bible research software". The reviewer might not have chosen the word "research", although there are resources there to support a measure of research. To many saints it certainly offers access to resources that are flexible and, in other formats, tried and tested. The young and the not-so-young will find them helpful.

TW

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