"Isn't One Bible enough??" And Buying Tips

A common question is "Why does anyone need more than one Bible? Isn't one enough?

The answer is dependent upon each individual. For some people, one Bible is enough. However, there are benefits to having more than one, even in the same translation.

😄My husband never seemed to understand before but I think he is starting to by now (I hope).  He is a "one Bible is enough" person.  I don't knock him for that.  I think one is all that is necessary.  That is enough to allow you access to God's Word to be able to read it and write it on your heart.  However, I definitely see the benefits of having multiples.  

The reason so many collect them and/ or feel a need to have more is because the extra helps and content are different.  There are devotional Bibles that are more leaning toward prayer and making you think on a heart and principal level. There are study Bibles that go in great detail about timelines and other facts about the culture, etc.  There are journaling Bibles that allow you to doodle and draw pictures to help you remember a verse or a time that was meaningful to you that God spoke to your heart.   Some people use journaling Bibles to write their notes on the side margins, instead of a separate notebook.  

I have multiple NIV but each has a different reason why I go to it.  It is easier to find what you are looking for with themes.  The Leadership Bible has where to find examples of leadership in the Bible. Another is for highlighting verses about my word of the year, all in one place, so that I am not sifting through different kinds of markings to find all of them by topic.  One is a devotional Bible dedicated to focusing on or improving your prayer life.  I just ordered 2 more from Amazon.  One is The Learning Bible and has tons of cultural and geographical info, etc., and the other is Quest Study Bible.  The last one has TONS of questions and answers to help your understanding of what you are reading.  Some only feel lead to have one Bible and there is NOTHING wrong with that.😊  These are just reasons why some keep buying more.  I hope this helps.

I told my husband, "Look. Collecting Bibles isn't your thing and that is fine.  You have things you collect and there are definitely worse things that I could be into." I think he finally somewhat understands at least. That doesn't mean he agrees.  Any time I mention wanting a new one, he says, "ANOTHER Bible?!" 🙈 lol Oy!

I don't pay full price, either. I try to limit myself to between $10 and $15. It is actually more like between $5 and $10 unless there is a special reason (like gifting).  I got my ESV Journaling single column at ChristianBook when it was 10.99 (marble) and I got the large, print thumb index version, of The Study Bible for women (HCSB) for my mom, slightly imperfect for 14.99.

Instead of getting the same Bible for me, I got the older version smoke leather (imperfectly imprinted) AND the hardback  large print not indexed- (I prefer to tab myself) -slightly imperfect- BOTH for about $15 total. This is the best way for me to expand.

You have to look SUPER close to the top left corner to see the tear in the spine. 

There is also a tiny wrinkle at the bottom. I haven't really noticed anything else. 

The imperfectly imprinted is when they engrave it but it isn't right. They cut the name out and put a similar piece of leather to kind of cover it. This leaves a cut mark on the cover of the Bible. You can see where it is cut out but the integrity of the book is absolutely fine. Here is how I handled that. ;) 

 I lucked out and found The Power Of A Praying Woman through Goodwill on Amazon for $4. 

I had seen The Life Application Study Bible, I believe, quite awhile back on Amazon (hardback) for about $5. I missed out because I didn't act quickly. I'm not trying to make a list.  I just wanted to help anyone else who might be wanting another Bible but wasn't aware of the types of deals you can get.

Places like Lifeway and Half Price Books are great but I know that they are a bit out of my range right now. Though, some LifeWay stores are closing. I'm sad at that but maybe, for those areas, it would be a good time to buy. 

A great option is to go imperfect or used. Most of them, I can't even tell they have anything "wrong" with them except a spine dent or wrinkle. The used The Power of A Praying Woman Bible was in mint condition but no box. I also like to browse the $5 sales. I'm hopefully going to be using some of these Bibles above more often with the reading plan. 

Sometimes a used Bible really has been used. It is up to you to decide if you are comfortable with possible markings from the previous owner.  I, for the most part, am good with it. I just figure it is coming "pre-loaded with character". lol  

I think that it is interesting to find out what that person was drawn to. What spoke to them? Did they leave any notes that will water my seeds of faith, like it did their own?  

My recent Quest Study Bible did come somewhat "pre-loaded" with regular orange highlighter. It bled through in some places.  I have not had a proper chance yet to see what passages they highlighted. I only know that, according to the reading plan, they had read quite a bit and maybe even consistently. However, the only books that have any heavy highlighting are some of the Gospels and a little bit in Ezekiel. For about $4.50, that is fine by me. I can still benefit from the rest of the information just fine.

 

 

I am still waiting for The Learning Bible.  It has had a major shipping hiccup.  It was scanned into the original USPS facility. It shows Denver, Co. (last week).  After 4 days of not moving so much as 2 hours instate, in any direction, I contacted the USPS. They told me to contact the sender because they didn't see it in the system. This was Friday afternoon. 

So, the seller (from Amazon) said they would contact the carrier. Fast forward through the weekend. I contacted support near the end of day on Monday. They apologized for not having been able to get to the bottom of it sooner but they would let me know. 

They contacted me to tell me that the USPS was working to find a way to get the info updated on my side. I don't remember the exact wording. It would seem to me that nobody has scanned the blasted thing since it arrived. Support told me it had been scanned internally but not specifically for the tracking ticket. 

Well, today was the last day of the original shipping window. I haven't heard anything since early this week. It is now Friday. I ordered on the 13th of May.  My Quest Bible was ordered the same day, with the same wait window and was delivered successfully (on May 16th), a day earlier than the expected window start time of  May 17th-24. I hope it is finally here today. If not, I think it is time to cancel. 

Blessings to you and I hope you have a beautiful start to a very blessed and beautiful weekend!


If you would like a full review over this Bible, my friend, Cat Woods, has one here. She has many other reviews and other types of videos as well.