All good points, and one resonates with me above the others: Bibles at lower price points means more Bibles in the hands of more people. I love to give away Bibles, but I can’t afford to buy and gift Schuyler Bibles. I can afford less expensive Bibles, and love to hand them out when the Spirit moves me. Plus, if somebody is looking to get into the Bible, maybe a new Christian or a not-yet Christian feeling the tug of God’s grace, They’re gonna end up at Wal Mart or Amazon long before they hear of premiums. Don’t get me wrong, my premium Bibles are very special to me, but I’m also passionate about getting the Word into the hands of more of God’s Children. Great video, as always.
Nah. It's never sat right with me that smaller, more niche publishers can continue to print in the USA for around the same pricepoint as the big guys, whereas those much larger publishers (who have more money, resources, and built-in customers) have recently taken to outsourcing to China and then, often, raised product prices afterward anyway. Offering up more and more industries to an unfriendly country just doesn't seem wise, especially when, if outsourcing is inevitable for production cost reasons, countries like India, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, or Japan could be options that people would be less annoyed by. On the plus side, "Printed in China" has done wonders for me in terms of managing my book-buying and helped foster a love for older books, which were always sewn and almost always printed in the US or UK.
I don’t think you know what you think you know. Price point is based on more than volume, but options and materials. China does not always equal cheap. US does not always equal well made.
This one will be interesting. I have a stack of bibles printed in the usa. It's only recently that I found out most publishers print them in china these days
Thank you for showing some love to Chinese Christians and citizens. I'm amazed how accepted it is for religious Americans to have complete apathy toward, downright hate, or deny the existence of majority world Christians just because God placed them as a light in a communist country or an Islamic-governed country. We learn from persecuted Christians every time we open up our Bibles, but spend almost no time listening to the living examples of such great faith.
I really enjoy your "a different type of Nickels Worth today" videos. About printing Bibles in China, I've not been quite sympathetic to that, but I've recently started to change my views. You certainly made good points in favor of that.
Interesting video, the price point is important because it makes Bibles more accessible to Westerners, I have been blessed by the Thomas Nelson / Zondervan Premier collection. Not everyone can afford to spend $200-$300 on a European Bible. My only complaint about Chinese Bibles is sometimes they have a chemical smell which I don’t like. I’ve had this in premium and leathersoft. I agree with you that I’ve seen premium Bible publishers with printing issues. All of that said I respect it if a Christian doesn’t want a Chinese made Bible.
Thanks for sharing your points. They were very good and gave me something to think about. I always try to buy Bible printed in the US. An ESV Omega costs $349.99, plus the additional cost of a rebind would make it too expensive for me. I would be afraid to use it and want to keep it in a locked archival safe! 🤣🤣🤣
Tim, point #4 is the BEST point! I agree 100%…the Bible is in China and could possibly get to someone who may not ever have had the opportunity to see/read one otherwise.
I have many Bibles, a few of them, mostly published by Crossway and Thomas Nelson are printed in China. But I made the personal decision a while ago that I will never, ever again buy another Bible, and if possible, anything else, printed or made in China.
@@anickelsworthbiblereviews Of course. That said, some of the US RRD Bibles _are_ cheap (but you do get what you pay for; they're cheap in both regards).
Thanks Tim for thinking through and approaching a topic like this in a video. Have you ever done a video on how to interpret the printer page information, or how to determine where a Bible is published, when and what paper? Do you know all those information about different printers because of insider information or through publishers? Can you make a video on understanding the “background” or source information on a Bible? Not sure if that is possible but it would be fascinating. Seems like it’s the stuff of those who make this a rabbit-hole hobby. 😂 Thanks.
Anything for a Snelling! Ha ha. The answer is, yes and no. There is some info on the copyright page the average person may not be able to decipher, but some details we simply do not know. This is a good idea, not sure how popular a video it would make. Maybe I can roll it into another one. Thanks!
Hey a bit off topic, but this made me think of a question. Do you happen to know when the Bible became available to the common person to have one of their own? I was reading the book "Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes", and they had mentioned how we have so individualized God's Word/Bible the way we read it now, but it was more communal based when it was read aloud to others way back when. (As in Paul talking to the church as a whole, not just an individual.) Thought that was super interesting.
I think we need both. We need communal understanding of the Bible, but we also need individual study. That’s proven itself in history. Have we over corrected in the western world? For sure. Answering your question, it would have been around the time of moveable typeset aka the Gutenberg Press.
@@anickelsworthbiblereviews Oh, I totally agree. (The wording of my comment may not have relayed that well.) Especially since that on that day each of us will stand before the judgment seat. I do find it extremely beneficial (and interesting) to study the manners and customs of biblical times. It really makes so much of scripture come alive and easier to understand. (Craig Keener is one of my favorite Bible scholars who brings great insight to these things, and he's also a continuationist.)
In terms of English translations, the Geneva Bible was the first to become more readily available to everyday people based on formats, sizes and pricing.
People are people, we all need the Savior. As you pointed out, the government does not equal everybody. But at the end of the day, no matter where the Bible is printed, Daniel 4:17 lets us know that God rules in the kingdoms of men! Print the Book in every isle of the sea, every continent of the earth, every tribe and tongue of men! Praise God just print the Book!
Thanks for this video. It was very informative. I do have one question that I was wondering about...Is the paper that is used for bibles specifically made for bibles only? I never see that type of paper used in any other types of books...It just made me wonder about this. Thanks!
@@anickelsworthbiblereviews I saw an ad for a Bible on Facebook a while back and someone commented that they need to put thicker, more durable paper in Bibles instead of making them thinner. I answered him back "And then you'll have a Bible that's half a foot thick."
most of the bible made in China were sewn binding, and most of bible made in USA were glued, only some were sewn . I found that bibles made in China , are better quality than bibles made in India or South Korea.
I have a CBP (Church Bible Publishers) that is printed here in the US. Is also smythe sewn in goatskin. Affordable and very great in quality. A few months ago I ordered a Zondervan parallel and it was printed in India. While the build of the book was good.. psalms had a lot of missing pages and then additional repeats of psalms pages. It was ridiculous. Bibles done in South Korea seem to be well done. SK is similar to Japan in work ethics. They do good work. Things from India always seem to be sloppy and rough. Its like they do not care. For a good Bible that is affordable CBP for sure.
My pennys worth…😀 ALL, ALL humans are made in the image of God. If you can afford it and it is important to you, (when you can) buy American or from whoever you want. Just don’t KJVO everyone else! Let’s all try and look at life through the lens of eternity. Christ owns it all.
My daily use Bible is a cheap one from India. Got others which are nicer. But, I'm so used to my ESV-CE, it has my notes and highlights. Poor thing will disintegrate before I stop using it. Bought it when I was coming out of atheism but still super broke. Probably my favourite still
I honestly don't mind it as long as they don't alter the text. By the way, the art guild on that ESV Omega that you got rebound looks amazing! Is that dark bluish color custom made?
@@anickelsworthbiblereviews I caught the part where you said it was a custom rebind, but was curious about the dark blue under gold guild (not sure if it is black at the top and bottom), and if it came like that or if that was also custom colored.
I've wondered about this often. I came to a similar conclusion for the following reasons: 1. People need Bibles, and they get the price down. Most people I know can't or wouldn't get a premium Bible, and they can churn out cheaper Bibles that aren't glued binding that falls apart as soon as you open it. 2. If we make a big stand on this, that it's immoral to support China, then we must do it everywhere else, or it's just a bit of play acting to make us feel better about ourselves. It's really not feasible to do that. This is exactly the sort of play acting Christ condemns. 3. If there's a nation persecuting Christians our nation gives money to the persecutors, almost every time. The only time you see politicians complaining about persecuted Christians is when we can't do anything, but they're quick to line the pockets of the persecutors otherwise. It's all a game. I can't do anything about China, and if that is a decision-making value, then it removes me from supporting most politicians, whether blue or red. 4. We don't know what that's doing. People are being exposed, if only to print it. We don't know what's happening with that, and, for that matter, neither do the party leaders or their demonic masters. Why remove one of the demons' weaknesses?
Hi Tim, if I'm not mistaken, isn't RR Donnelly an American company, while Amity Printing is a joint venture between a Chinese company and the United Bible Societies? Personally, not been an American, it doesn't bother me one bit, this seems to be an American thing. Furthermore, I might not have been able to buy a Bible had it been made in the USA. So hallelujah for Chinese made Bibles.
RR Donnelley that prints these bibles is in China. Perhaps it is American owned. Not sure on that. And your perspective is one I’ve never even thought of…interesting.
@@anickelsworthbiblereviews They're an American company - think they used to own National Publishing Co. which still publishes bibles for the Gideons. They have an office in Grand Island, NY near me but I don't think it's their main office.
@@anickelsworthbiblereviews I checked, they are an American company that have been around for over 200 years. They are based in over 26 countries (I checked there website). One of my favourite Bibles is the ESV Large Print Wide Margin Bible with its 36 GSM paper. It has really good paper to be honest and takes pens really well.
My NKJV MacArthur Study Bible and my KJV Thompson Chain Reference Bible are both printed in China and I enjoy both of them and I'm going to keep on enjoying them. I've always believed that you can't judge a nation because of the actions or beliefs of a part of its population. I mean, Yes, China is a Communist country, but that does not mean that everybody that lives in China is a Communist. I wonder how many of those people who refuse to buy a Bible that's printed in China enjoy eating in Chinese restaurants.
Thank you so much Tim. I have mixed feelings but you make wonderful points, for the kingdom of God; Christ is King. Now that's about our Bibles. Many, many electronics in our homes come from China also electronic car components. I do have a major issue with our medications, drugs or components of them made in China also food products; baby formula oh no! That we should stop. God bless you and yours ✝️.
One of the problems with Chinese Bibles is that their premium editions are anything but. The leather has a terrible smell and is spongey feeling. The liners are stiff. The craftsmanship is terrible as I've had to return a couple Zondervan premiere due to structural issues. The paper is nowhere near the quality of Jongbloed. I don't love 28 GSM but I prefer it to Zondervan 36 GSM. The 36 GSM from LEGO is far better than the Chinese paper. The 40 GSM in the Allan NRSV is insanely better. I haven't bought a Chinese Bible in a few years and I'm very happy with that decision.
I am 100 percent on board with you! The Lord works in mysterious ways. Perhaps Trump should have got behind one of these better quality Bibles from china.
I have come across this before, where some Christians seem to hate Chinese made Bibles....I just don't know how that is possible given Galatians 3:28. Are we, or are we not all one in Christ? If the Chinese printers are working and advancing the kingdom of heaven by making Bibles - I cannot fathom how that could be viewed as a bad thing.
The problem also lies with where the money goes. Just like each time you buy some plastic thing made in China at Walmart. China’s military is equipped with the latest technology for a reason.
Point 4 was always in the back of my mind concerning bibles printed in China. Can't get in the front door...go to the back door. Bible in English....no problem.
Why do you think Schuyler and other companies dont provide their excellent text block on hardcover (which are more affordable and can reach more people)? Is it because their manufacturers dont do hardcovers or because most hardcover buyers wont spend 100 plus dollars on a Bible that has excellent book blocks?
@@anickelsworthbiblereviews Ok. Then there is a gap in supply. One has to either choose an ultra premium Bible that has the best text block but which comes with expensive leather, or a semi premium Bible like the Thomas Nelson's which has a lovely but not-entirely- premium text block. There is no one who is providing the Netherlands textblock in a good hardcover (which will lower the cost substantially I would think). I am assuming of course that there are people like me who care more about the text block than fancy leather. The covers can always be changed. The text block for better or worse cannot. Thoughts?
I think I saw an LSB Bible with french milled paper on a hard cover text block. And if I remember well those sold out fast. I wish more publishers do this with more Bible editions. Wishful thinking I suppose. Lol
Glory to Jesus Christ! As a result of your video I’ve been checking out the printing information in my Chinese made Bibles. Do you happen to know what printer DSC stands for? I’ve got several Bibles with those initials. Thanks! And God bless!
Thanks so much. I did a search online but didn’t find anything. At least they give some indication of who printed it. I’ve noticed that Tyndale does not include any such information as far as I’ve seen.
Chinese people are also humans created by God, so I see no issue with printing religious texts in China. As long as the quality and materials meet the publisher's requirements, it should not be a problem.
I think I am understanding you. I mean I get it, certain publishers try and make themselves look elite based on where they don’t print bibles. For some, because of the nature of what they do, it is certainly an advantage. For others, not so much.
As someone not living in the USA I am always amazed by the hubris some Americans have on how they are the "best" of everything 🫣 You have highlighted good reasons.
The Chinese government does not oppose any religion, but it does not like it when people use their controversial religions to meddle in political affairs. As a result, the Chinese central government runs the country in an atheist manner, which may be beneficial for keeping a large country united rather than divided. Since more than 80% of Americans have not visited China, it is easier for them to be fed with negative views about country they've never seen nor visited. I have several Christian books being printed in China and it makes acquiring them more affordable. I don't think I can afford any books if they were being printed elsewhere. As such, we should all show some gratitude to a nation which we have often been misled by the West.
Tim, you know how I feel about a Bible as a "thing." I have purchased one new bible since 1981, unless you count 99 cent digital copies, and I only spent 10 bucks and shipping for that. Oh, and a Spanish Bible for like 8 bucks. The words are the vary same in all the Bibles, translation to translation of course. I don't plan to buy any more new Bibles, probably ever. Besides that though, Jesus was not an American, Christianity is not an American relligion and the Bible wasn't written in English. If you are a believer in Jesus called the Christ, you are not an American, your kingdom is not of this world. Petty country disputes are meaningless. Your point about Bibles in Chna is onteresting. I don't know what to think of that yet, it may have some worth, from the perspective of a believer..
After watching this video, I would boil down your 5 reasons to just 2 categories: spiritual and economic, with 2 of your reasons touching on the former and 3 on the latter. I don't find your spiritual arguments compelling because they are not definitive or conclusive. You cannot say conclusively that Bibles printed in China directly benefit the Chinese people. You even had to caption your video at one point to make sure that you *weren't* definitively saying that. The CCP may *allow* Bible printing because of their greed and hypocrisy, but that doesn't equate to the disseminating of God's Word to the Chinese people en masse, let alone to communist government officials in particular. Under a communist regime, you can't separate the people from the Party. Businesses are completely regulated and wealth is redistributed. Your 3 economic reasons aren't compelling because what is profitable for publishing concerns or aesthetically/cosmetically pleasing to consumers doesn't outweigh the spiritual. Those considerations also do not outweigh the larger economic issues facing our own nation and culture. Yes, as a nation we have outsourced to the Orient for decades for the sake of profit margins, and that has had the effect of shutting down businesses here. It may be cheaper for us personally in the short run, but we have paid for it in the long run. My eyes are 70 years old, and I have cataracts. I may possibly be facing surgery on my left eye next year. My EDC Bible is a wide margin NKJV center column reference Bible that I've had for around 30 years. It's harder to read than it used to be, so I have looked at modern offerings in the NKJV. I only found a couple that *weren't* printed in China, and they didn't have the features that I want. If it gets to the point where I have retire my current EDC, I will look first for a Bible printed anywhere besides China.
I will say this. Regardless of where the product is made, it comes to America and benefits American business. It’s not the businesses fault that our government has an out of control budget and debt load. I also think our current government and general way of life is hardly a beacon of light shining brightly in the darkness. Just my five cents.
@@anickelsworthbiblereviews Interesting reply, but it doesn’t actually address what I brought up. From an economic standpoint, I was speaking of our nation’s decades old trend of outsourcing manufacturing and production. It is not a good thing that our nation imports most things we manufactured and produced ourselves a generation ago. And I never said anything about our current administration being a beacon of light.
My conscience has always said no and to resist Chinese produced Bibles by Amity Publishing but you made some great points that make a clear distinction between the lovely Chinese people and their oppressive government. I have a lot of Cambridge Bibles printed by LEGO and Royal Jungbleod and while I still prefer my Bibles to be made in the USA or western Europe, I do have some lovely Zondervan Premium Bibles. The only exception about the Bibles produced in China are they do have a certain smell, and it's not the same smell as the Cambridge Bibles, that said I think the Crossway ESV Bible Atlas and ESV Men's Study Bible are phenomenal!
I’ve had some time to marshall my thoughts together on this subject. I’m the first to say that I take issue with buying the Bible’s that are made in China. My main issue is with the publishers. For instance, Thomas Nelson is owned by HarperCollins which publishes a lot of very unchristian material. With Thomas Nelson holding what could probably be described as the biggest share of the Bible buying public. Here’s a tip, if you’re looking for one of the Premier Collection Bibles published by Thomas Nelson, get it secondhand through a fellow brother or sister in Christ. Your money will be going to a fellow Christian, or even supporting a local Church. It can also be cheaper than what Amazon, Christianbook, or another online site advertised as the price. $100-$125 is nice for a Premier Collection Bible. However, getting it for $80? That’s even better! A bonus is that you are able to build a relationship with the fellow Christian that you are buying from. Oh, and Nickels? Nothing beats the French milled paper that Royal Jongbloed uses. NOTHING! LOL! Seriously, the 28 GSM paper in my Schuyler Personal Size Canterbury is excellent. There was a line of premium Bibles put out by Thomas Nelson in the early to mid 2000s. The Bible’s were printed and bound in Belgium, I believe. The line was called the Signature Series. They are apparently worth something these days. To those who say that if we don’t like Chinese printed Bibles then we should stop buying our clothes, technology, and other goods from them, my answer is I WISH WE COULD! However, the market of Chinese made goods is so prevalent that, I believe, if you walked into Walmart and looked for American made, or other country manufactured clothing, the choices would be very slim to nothing at all. With Bibles, there are other known options with more up and coming, Lord willing. There are church ministries in the USA that print Bibles on US soil. Bearing Precious Seed comes to mind. The average price of their Bible, $40, works out to about the same for your average Thomas Nelson Bible. There is also the Windsor Text KJV from Trinitarian Bible Society that is quite good. My point is that if we have to be slaves to China for what we use in our daily lives, clothes, technology, etc., why should we rely on them for the Word of God? P.S. Tim, great video as always. I hope you’ll check out a Bible from Bearing Precious Seed. I’ve heard that they are really good.
@@anickelsworthbiblereviews I know the TBS edition of the Royal Ruby used to be printed in Belarus but a copy I have printed after QE2's passing was done in Italy - it's possible that because of current...tensions in the area Cambridge and possibly also TBS decided Belarus might not be a good option right now.
