I just want to encourage everyone to do whatever is best to help get you in the word everyday. Yes, i have tabs in my Bible, and yes i add sticky notes and other things that will bulk it up. I'd rather have my Bible wear out from frequent use than to keep it prestine on the shelf snd not have God's word in my heart. I'm sure this video is NOT intended to make people read their Bibles less, but I just wanted to encourage someone that its not necessarily the worst thing to have some wear and tear on your Bible.
100% !! Looks like me and you are the only ones in the comments encouraging people to do what helps them retain The Word !! And to not make an idol out of the Book !! Blessings 🧡
I can't deny the appeal of seeing someone's personal Bible falling apart because they read it constantly and take it everywhere with them. But by all means, do what you can to make them last if you want to.
Lately, with all the prayer bible videos and use of office and craft supplies, I’ve thought a lot about Corrie ten Boom who tore her bible apart to share pages with others in the concentration camp so pages could be shared inconspicuously or a Vietnamese prisoner pulling bible pages used as toilet paper from a latrine, washing them off and reading them at bedtime to avoid the guards. I put tabs on the fragile pages of an old Thompson Chain Reference bible 25 years ago and repaired tears with washi tape. The leather cover has fallen off and I keep it in a zippered bible cover. The things I’ve written and notated and organized according to the way my brain is organized have taught me so much about the Lord, His Word & His ways. I have bibles that I’ve picked up from give-away tables at churches. I’ve torn out pages to use in journal entries or bible passage projects. This would be unthinkable to some people, but I think how Jesus is the Word of God and He is living water and bread of life, meant to be consumed & hidden in our heart. I am a messy, creative, hands-on learner. I’m also a compulsive over-achiever. If I dwell on respect for the book and paper scripture is printed on, I will organize myself into not using my printed bible at all because I don’t want to mess it up. I’ve done that. How blessed in abundance we are to have this issue. 😅
I love this. ❤ Some of the people in the comments give me the impression that they have all their designer bibles pristinely tucked away with all of their best china and silver to save for "someday" or for a bunch of mythical descendents that will cherish all of the unused mouldy and rotting artifacts they buried and left for well after Jesus returns. 😃
The only shame in tearing out a page, and having an incomplete copy lying around, is when you need to be careful about lending it to someone. (So I advise against it for only that reason.)
Loved your final tip, “treat the Bible with respect, it is God’s Word.” 50 years ago my grandma taught me that very important lesson. Her Bibles were always nearby and I learned from an early age to respect that book. NEVER place anything on top of it with the exception of another Bible. That has always stuck with me and to this day, nothing is ever put on top of one of my Bibles except another Bible, not even a Sunday bulletin. God’s Word truly deserves that respect.
Same here. I was taught that nothing is placed on top of the Scriptures. I wish I could remember it better, but I heard the admonition once to not even let dust accumulate on your Bible: another way of saying read it often!
I have a stack of the same Bibles that I’ve used over the years (and a few new ones waiting on me). I use tabs, post it notes, highlighters, writing, occasional stickers, and all kinds of stuff. When I can’t write or find a space to add yet another sticky note, I move onto a new one and keep the used one. I look back and see the growth. The old ones are falling apart and that shows my growth too. I spend a lot of time in my bibles and im okay with the condition they end up in. As they fall apart, I grow strong and surrender more of myself.
haha! 1. I use bible tabs on my stay at home Study Bible (0 for 1) 2. for my church bible, i do keep old bulletins, notes, and prayerlists (O for 2’) 3. I did start storing softbacks horizontally when I became a bible nerd. Hardbacks still standing (O for 3) 4. I use even worse that ballpoint and Sharpie highlighters and love them (0 for 4) 5. I never do Bible yoga, never even thought about it before (1 for 5) 6. I used to do scotch tape before I started rebinding. No more. Yes love your recommended tape (2 for 6) 7. I do leave 1 Bible in the car. It’s a hardy rough cut. (2 for 7) Love these tips, but I definitely use tabs and tip in many add in pages in my stay at home study bibles.
My Bibles are like my woodworking tools - well used and well loved. And they show it. The CONTENTS are God's Word, not the book itself. Don't make the object an idol. I have Bibles within arms' reach everywhere, sometimes even in my car. We live in a time when Bibles are available everywhere in our society. If you are worried about having an heirloom, buy one for that purpose. Personally, at the end of my life I want people to look at my Bible and say "THAT'S how he knew it so well!" and be inspired to do likewise.
I’ve purchased a New Testament kjv and the Gospels kjv in large print from Spiral Bible. I can’t afford the Old Testament just yet. I know how important the Old Testament is to being able to rightly divide the word. We are so blessed to have the whole Bible in our country. I’ve been watching testimonies of people who only had pieces of one book of the Bible and even having that put them under threat of death.
This is great advice for those who want to keep their bible looking pristine, and i know a lot of people do want that. Personally, my favourite Bible is one i used a lot in my twenties. I volunteered a lot at christian conferences and festivals, and also walked a lot, finding quiet spots in nature to sit, read and journal. So that Bible was in and out of my backpack a LOT. It only had a soft cover and over time that cover was torn and lost a corner! It became a talking point though, as people would ask me "what happened to your Bible?!" My response was always "It has been taken everywhere with me, so everything I've gone through, this Bible has gone through with me. It hasn't been a Bible on a shelf."
Excellent comment "It hasn't been a Bible on a shelf." I was given a Bible 5 yrs ago on Valentine's Day 2019 and was Born Again in the Gospel of John. I had never read a Bible before. Ever since that day l have taken it everywhere. Our apartment building caught on fire and l grabbed my purse and my Bible. It's always a reach away. God Bless. 📖✝️👑
Please come do my shelves when you're done. Every time I dust I think, ugh, I have GOT to organize this mess! Then I get overwhelmed and don't do it. LOL!
I didn't realize storing vertically damages hardcovers, not just paperbacks/softcovers. Thankfully, I do not have a hardcover Bible. But thanks for that tip. Come fall/winter, I have to do a major overhaul of my bookshelves. I actually only have two small cases. But they're getting to be a mess. It's an all day project, so I want to wait until the weather is bad and I don't want to go out anyway. But this is why my kitchen table is pilled with books and I usually have to eat standing up at the sink, LOL!
Tim, your work on the translations which have been most important in the history of the English Speaking Bible was a breath of fresh air to me. God bless you and may your tribe continue and multiply!!!!!
Amen! I'm so glad someone said this. Bibles are just not part of this disposable modern society. I learned some of these things in Sunday School and the rest of them later when I worked as a librarian. I can't understand people who use those Bible tabs - you never ever learn where the books are found in your Bible if you don't just learn to hunt for them. And then you eventually memorize them that way. Thank you for this needed video.
I finally found a use for Bible tabs. The One Year Bible is great for consecutive reading but finding a specific passage is tedious without Bible tabs. The pages of the One Year Bibles are usually thicker and reinforcing the area with tape also helps prevent tearing.
I get it, but at the same time I want a bible that I'm not afraid to use. That's just me. I don't want something I have to treat like rare, fine china. Even an expensive, premium bible is going to get pushed to its limits by me. The wear and tear just gives it character.
According to this I do almost everything "wrong". I'm not preserving my Bible for the ages....the colored pencil, regular pencil and yes ballpoint pen notes were for me and I even have gone back and written beside some why my original thought was wrong. It's a story of my walk and my favorite Bible has sections that are totally unattached and will fall out if I am not careful. There are some small papers, bookmarks my son made and even a couple photographs in it.... I think everyone can have their way. What I know is my life runs more smoothly when I spend time with God... but I am human and I don't always make opening my Bible a priority. Now I am going to get my favorite falling apart Bible and read some of the notes I wrote...and thank God for His patience with me and for His sacrifice giving me salvation.
I appreciate this video that "just happened" to show up in my recommendations. I've seen Bible so decorated with inserts and drawings and cutesy stickers (I think of the stickers was of a fairy, something that has not business being in a Bible) and notes that they were much thicker at the outside than at the spine and looked like art projects instead of Bibles. It's like the Bible became about the owner rather than about the Lord. I use a leather-bound Cambridge Press KJV Bible that I purchased at a Red Cross Book Fair. The Bible has the name of a total stranger stamped into the lower-right of the front cover! On the back of the Bible, up at the top, there's a horizontal strip significantly lighter than the rest of the back cover. I suspect my Bible, back when it was someone else's Bible, was on a shelf unused for a long time and next to a smaller book so that the top of that back cover was lightened by the sun over a period of time. I love my Bible that had originally belonged to someone else.
This was great. I appreciate the light you shed on the best pens and highlighters to use on Bible paper. Also, the information on Bible storage was enlightening. I didn't know hardcover Bibles would be adversely affected by upright storage. Last, I didn't know there was a better alternative to scotch tape. Thanks!
This is a great video. I want to get some of that tape. When I was a little girl, I wrote on the sides of the text block of a special book that my great grandfather had given me with a blue ball point ink pen. It was not a bible, it was a fairy tale book. My Mom never said a word to me, she just wrote a note and stuck it in the book beside my bookmark, telling me how disappointed she was that I had done it. It was a lesson I never forgot--I was ashamed, and always treated my books with care after that. I'm in my 60's now and I still have that fairy tale book, and I sure wish I hadn't ruined the text block! Your library is sure pretty, Tim. Thanks for the video!
And you should’ve mentioned something about this notorious line that many like to use “a Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t” as a cop out for disrespecting the word and some even have their cats and dogs sit on their bibles as if it’s a fun thing to do.
I appreciate all of your tips, but the one most useful for me is to store them horizontally. I do that with my premium leather Bibles but never thought about doing that with the hardbacks. Thank you for sharing and providing plenty of good examples of why. Now, I gotta shut off the internet while I go and reorganize all my bookshelves. lol
Thanks for the helpful tips! I didn't know that about storing hardback books on the shelves vertically. That explains why my books were getting damaged over time despite handling them with extra care. I will change the arrangement for my bookshelf asap.
Those were great suggestions. Glad to see your #1 suggestion is to lay your books flat in the book case (and not on the end like they do in libraries) to prevent the problems you showed. While I have kept (and still use) the hard copy Bibles I have acquired over the years (but not as many as you have😀), I’ve gone to the Blue Letter Bible application on my iPad about 10 years ago. There I can underline, highlight, bookmark and take extensive notes to my hearts content and I don’t damage a thing. I would have torn up a hard copy Bible doing these things to any of my hard copy Bibles. I can switch translation, font style, size, verse-or-paragraph presentation any time I want without disturbing anything else. All highlights and notations stay regardless of the translation. New translations added get the notes/highlights/bookmarks of the previous translations. I also carry around an ESV Study Bible on my thin, light weight iPad. And my hard copy Bibles get used, but do not get abused or damaged. I enjoy your channel. Keep it up.
These are all excellent points. The one thing I would recommend is to be mindful of how many books or Bibles you stack when they are being stored flat, and keep an eye on the weight so the ones on the bottom don’t get crushed. Try to put heavy ones on the bottom with lighter ones on top. Great video.
I love every Pigma Micron I've ever gotten!! They're the first pens I recommend to people when they ask. I've also had good experiences with the Mildliner highlighters from Zebra. Specifically the ones on Amazon that are actually made for the Japanese market. I'm sure the American market variants are good too.
Great video. Thank you for making it. After studying my bible on and off for many years, I totally agree with everything you have said. However, I do have several bibles for different purposes. One in my car, one small one for taking to church, a large one for marking and studying, various different study bibles and "smart" bibles on phone and computer. I've even had a small one which I kept solely because it fitted into my overalls in work. I prefer to have several smaller bibles for having around and one main one for central study and reference.
I haven't seen this for a long time, but when I was a kid (born in 1960) until at least the early 80s it was pretty common for preachers to hold soft covered Bibles bent in half while preaching, often using them like pointers while gesturing. I seem to recall seeing Johnny Cash doing this - I think in the film The Gospel Road during his narrations.
Seeing any book with the cover folded back - ESPECIALLY the Bible - feels to me almost like a physical pain. My mind has likely blocked out any specific times, but I'm guessing that if any pastor has done it on stage, I would instinctively close my eyes or look down. I just can't do it. LOL!
I usually have a Bible in my every vehicle. Havn't had problems with fading covers, but heat and glue is a bad combo so I quickly learned that edge-lined is the way to go. Besides that one issue, I havn't had a single Bible fall apart on me, despite some of them being treated quite rough in my blue collar world. I have Bibles that I pamper alot more as well, but they certainly don't get as many reading hours either... And another thing: tabs is a must have for the church Bible when your pastor love to cross-reference and jump back and forth between three or four different books in scripture constantly. 😂 I would never put them in a Bible I use at home though. That's just my way of doing it of course, and likely why I couldn't even imagine just having only one or even two Bibles.
Over the years when I reach the point of needing a rubber band to hold it together, I gift it to one of my adult children as a testimony of faith. Thank you CDR for the idea.
Great tips! Now i feel like being home so i can set my hardcover Bibles on their sides instead of upright. I noticed that bit of straining at the top of them but never thought it was a possible problem with the hardback edition. I really appreciate the point about treating God's Word with respect! I am really put off sometimes by how some Christians treat their Bibles 😢 I mean even Muslims treat the Quran with so much care and revence because they believe it is the word of God (we know that it is not actually) so shouldn't we be more respectful and reverent with the actual Word of God? 📖 God bless 🙏
I have learned about putting tip ins of bible notes in a bible. I have just one bible I do this to and I use washing tape not Scotch tape. Thank you for mentioning what pens to use in my bible.
Thanks Tim. These are great tips. Additionally, I try to avoid opening my Bibles to a full 180 degrees to keep that spine as unstressed as possible. My wife thinks I'm too careful lol. But you're right, it's the word of of God and deserves our respect.
Good tips if you want to preserve your Bible. another approach is just to buy a whole bunch of cheap Bibles like I did. Write in them, leave them in your car, leave one in the bedroom, dining, kitchen, bathroom leave one in the workplace and no problem if any of them get lost or ripped because you've got heaps of the Bibles and it gives you more opportunity to use them.
You’ve presented some really good recommendations. In my ignorance I’ve done almost all of the things you’ve stated to my bibles. The Bibles I’ve tabbed I’ve had to replace because of how the tabs wore down my bibles. It’s better to save the extra cash to buy a thumb index Bible in the first place
I might add bible art journaling (using that word loosely). I feel like if you want to paint or decorate the cover, it’s okay. But the inside should be respected. I’m not talking about little illustrations or notes on the side margins. I’m talking about full blown drawing and paint covering the scriptures. At the end of the day, when future generations find a bible that is doodled and painted all over, where one cannot even read the scriptures, will this be regarded as benefiting society. Even if the process has nothing to do with society, and just one’s relationship with God, what can be gathered from that bible? Can someone be able to read the person’s love of God, reflections and studies, or will they see only artwork (at times not even indicative of Godliness, think a cartoon character). Will they see that this person loves God’s words, or loved their own artistic/crafty expressions?
@@anickelsworthbiblereviews I do not mean to incite an approval of my message. I think my sentiments are just preferential, whereas the suggestions you made seem to be to how to extend the physical life of an actual bible. I now get the purpose of the video based on your response.
@anickelsworthbiblereviews As do I, before I came to Christ I was a huge comic book nerd, so when I found out about the Kingstone Bible, I had to get it.
My mom has so many things in her Bible that my Dad said it was a filing cabinet. I was using one of her Bibles while listening to minister and could not keep up when looking for a reference because of so many thing jamed in that Bible.
@@anickelsworthbiblereviews no no I get what you were doing for sure. I’m just like “ahhh it makes sense!” Especially after seeing how my pages look after the bookmarks stay too long 😆. This was a very helpful video.
A couple years ago I ruined a personal size concord trying to fill it with my own tabs, boy did I learn my lesson. I'll just buy indexed pages next time
Sometimes storing books horizontally can put strain on the spine from the books on top. IF you store vertically it's best to use pressure from other books or book ends to keep a sufficient amount pressure on either side. Then the books support each other.
I have been storing my bibles flat since watching you some time back. Was great to see what happens long term if you don't. Also remember you are global, heat damage storing a bible in a car in 🇬🇧 . It rains so much we don't tan....we rust. Cheers mate.
For sure the Lineco tape works great. I have even used it to help with crinkled (accidently) pages. I cut a thin strip to fit between lines or verses and like you said, over a short time it becomes unseeable.
I just picked up one of my bibles yesterday that had a torn page and was wondering how to fix it before it got worse. Got my Lineco Document repair tape on the way!
I keep my leather bibles flat but not my hardbacks or anything else in my library. I want them to last a long time but that is going to be a hard switch 😬
Y’all would be horrified to see my Bible. “A Bible that’s falling apart belongs to someone who’s not.” Not knocking taking such meticulous care, I truly love books/Bibles & appreciate the knowledge. 😌
I bought a friend of mine a lambskin New American Standard from lachman Right after he started coming to church with me. He left it in his car for years and it turned into a puddle of goo. I'm still slightly upset about that. It wasn't cheap.
My wife had a dear Baptist bible teacher who would cringe if someone put a coffee cup on a bible. Also suggested that the bathroom is no place to bring the bible. I know we like to take advantage of every moment, but please no bible study on the throne.
My great grandmother whacked me because I set another book on top of it. She told me nothing tops the Word of God. She also wouldn’t allow it in the bathroom. Her Bible was well used, lasted her a lifetime and had about 7 font. I use an 11 and I am 20 years younger than she was when he passed
Of the seven things listed, the ONLY one I do is stick something other than a ribbon to mark a place in the Bible -- in this particular case, a thin cloth bookmark (actually looks like a miniature oriental rug, but not thick). I use one -- and ONLY one -- in order to mark places when I don't have enough ribbons; in one Bible, I use it near the rear for the reading plan, while in another Bible I use it to mark the Psalm for the daily reading (this Bible only has one ribbon).
The books with the most reading mileage should be stacked highest, followed by the least read volumes. Since the majority of my bibles are inexpensive, I prop the books vertically to make them easier to retrieve without straining my weak arms. I also invested in good quality bible tabs to make reading the Bible easier and enjoyable. Apart from that, I will continue to treat my bibles with care and the respect they deserve.
This is good advice. However this applies to all bound books, not just Bibles. It is even correct for my bound copy of “Das Kapital.” Every bibliophile thinks so.
Wish I'd seen this before I put those sticky tabs on mine. I really don't like the tabs but I seem to be stuck with them now as they're nearly impossible to remove. Lesson learned.
Pastor (?) Tim, do you know or have videos on whether Bible paper is getting thinner these days? I don't mean premium/high end Bibles. Just the regular ones you'd get anywhere. I recently got an ESV Single Column Heritage (Trutone). While I LOVE the format, it seems like the paper is thinner than Bibles I've had in the past. I know exactly zero about paper weight/thickness. Maybe I'm just imagining it. That's why I was thrilled to learn about that special tape! I haven't torn anything yet. But for the first time in my life, I'm scared I might.
I mean. If my bible looks used but not like it’s been thru Noah’s flood used .I think I will be happy with it. Take a page out of the bible nerds books and rebound your bible if book marks tabs and ribbons wear it out. However I like the vertical vs horizontal book tip. Ironically we can say I had soo many national geographic as a kid that I had a Nat. Geo wall. lol had idk hundreds stored 3 feet wide by 2 feet tall I think.
I saw a video where someone put tabs on the top instead of the the sides. I don't know if that would prevent damage long-term. But it might help a bit since it avoids the constant touching of them as you turn the pages. Just a thought!
I must confess I store one of my zipper Bibles in the glove compartment of the car, that way its there for Sunday but looks like I'll be taking it out 😅
It definitely makes sense for an active evangelist who has that gift to keep a cheap bible in the car at all times. I'd agree with Tim that storing a nice goatskin or calfskin bible in the car is a bad idea.
Well, you got 5 out of 7. A nickel's worth by Nickels. Not bad. 😏😉 Kidding...mostly. I agree with the reasoning you presented behind all 7, but I don't follow all 7 myself, if I'm honest. I store my leatherbound Bibles horizontally, but just don't have the space to store all my Bibles that way, especially if you include my copies of the Hebrew and Greek texts. So Bibles that serve as reference tools and are hardbound are generally standing on my shelves. And I do keep a Bible in each of my vehicles, both of them NKJV, and both published by the Gideons and picked up at a local 2nd hand bookstore. In each case, they are stored in the storage cubby on the door, and they're holding up very well.
All good points. Specially "treat it with respect." I've seen some people who identify themselves as Christians justifying the sordid way how they treat their Bibles saying that it is just an object, that it is idolatrous to show too much respect to it. There was this guy in Facebook who even took some obscene pleasure taking pictures of himself leaking some greasy food right above his Bible. He was teasing those who said that the Word of God was written there so it should anyway be shown some respect. His attitude was however that since he was already saved, he didn't care much about others' opinions and was just having some fun (at their expense).
Wow! I wouldn't treat regular books that way, much less the Bible! Doesn't this ignorant person know that people have literally died for this book? Not just the ideas in it, but the actual, physical object? It happens in places in the world even today. People smuggle Bibles into and out of restricted countries all the time, at risk of their lives! I would bet that people these situations take the best care of their Bibles that they can in their circumstances. They know it's the only one they will ever have. It's not like they can go to their local bookstore and get another one. Many places have limited internet access as well, so it's not like they can click on Amazon and have another delivered to their door. Ugh, this made me sick to learn. I can't accept that such a person is regenerate.
@@Yesica1993 Exactly. This happened in a Bible group in Facebook, and to my surprise many members were cheering his mockery and disrespectful behavior. I just decided to leave that group.
@@flowerlass it will make extra wear on the cover and the spine will break due to no support. Use it to carry but remove when you get home. I was so sad when my red leather was distressed.
@@flowerlass My understanding is that if you insert the covers into the pockets, it eventually causes damage to the spine. Now when I've used covers I put the Bible in, but I don't insert the cover into the pockets. What I wish is that compact Bibles would come with built in zippers! They're meant to be carried everywhere with you. But it's nearly impossible to find a properly fitting case. Why, God? Why? But that's a rant for another day.
What are your thoughts about storing bibles with their spine against the shelf with the pages pointed up? Mine are either "contained" so they don't flop open if I remove one or I lay several down and snugged up to the "loose" end of the stack to keep them upright. I've never used pen in my bibles except on the "ownership" page. My notes are always with pencil with a light touch. (I may need to re-orient mine to lay and store flat though. I do understand your logic! And, I wish I had known about your "Otter Wax" video decades ago to protect aging leather covers.)
@@anickelsworthbiblereviews Thanks for your response and advice. Looks like I have a task ahead of me; far smaller than your collection, but it will require some thought and rearranging!
Another thought. Since there are tons of Bible apps, are you opposed to the Bible sharing space in your phone with all manner of profane content? Or, in the case of physical Bibles, on a bookshelf with secular material of questionable merit? Shouldn't the Bible be placed upon an altar and only taken up after proper purification? It is sacred after all. Not trying to be snarky, but how far do you take this before it becomes idolatry or legalism?
While I agree with a lot of what you are saying, I encourage my people to get a copy of the Bible that they can mark up, highlight, put sticky tabs and other markers in but keep a copy for good. It is more important to use your copy of the Scripture in a way that reflects your learning curve and aids in your retention of the Word without descending into bibliolatry.
@@anickelsworthbiblereviews Thanks for the quick reply! I think that one needs both! One that is kept as pristine as possible and only worn by constant reading but one also needs another to use as a tool for digging into the Word. My biggest concern is that your video could cause someone to go in only the one direction instead of both. BTW I still have a bible that I use as a tool for digging that my wife bought me when I graduated from college in 1983, and it is still going strong!
Hi Tim ,enjoy the videos but have a question.Do other translations/publishers have an app like Tyndale filament app yet.seems others would jump on this and give folks a resource like this for the CSB,NKJV,NASB(77,95,20,NASB is like Rambo movies they keep coming out,lol),ESV,NRSV,maybe the new LXX as well.Thanks,Jerry
@GuruishMike same, if the pages don't tear they get wrinkled from the tabs being hit. I do however like the bible tabs I added to my full bible commentaries since they live on my desk anyways.
