BOOK REVIEW: My kind of Bible, just not my favorite translation …

I’ve never been a fan of the “NIV,” or New International Version Bible, but millions of people are. If you like this translation and are looking for a basic, easily portable Bible, the newly released Thinline version (published by Zondervan) could be just right for you.

This Bible breaks all the rules of what the ridiculous stereotype of Bible a “real” Christian would want … that stereotype supposedly being a BIG Bible, with a library worth of notes, and no thumb indexes because only baby Christians need those. Well, I actually like what this edition of the NIV offers: just a basic Bible!

This new Thinline version doesn’t come with all the “bells and whistles” of more hefty “study Bibles.” Instead, at the front of this version you get a table of contents, followed by an alphabetical order of the books of the Bible and then a preface, and in the back of this edition all you get is a one-page table of weights and measures. In between all this, you get a basic Bible with some footnotes being the only intrusion to the scriptures themselves.

I love that!

In my opinion, I think we stuff Bibles with so much that is extra-biblical that people can become confused sorting “notes” from the scriptures themselves. This NIV Thinline is less than one inch thick and delivers to you the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation in a new, easy-to-read font made for this Bible. Yes, the words of Jesus are in red (another thing some pridefully complain about, although it makes it easy for readers to be sure to know when Jesus is “speaking”), includes two attached ribbons to mark your spot to come back to, and offers thumb-indexing to make finding your way through the different books of the Bible easier.

So, this newly released NIV Thinline gives you all you need — a basic Bible! — in a lightweight version that’s small enough, and light enough to tote around anywhere.

However …

Yes, there is one “however” for me, one thing about this version I don’t like: it comes in bonded leather, at least the copy provided to me by the publisher did. I, personally, don’t buy bonded leather Bibles because it has been my experience the bonded leather along the spine will crack and fail with heavy usage. At least, that’s what has happened with bonded leather Bibles I’ve owned. If you’re reading and studying your Bible daily (we all should be!), then it’s worth paying extra for a “leather-like” or real leather cover Bible for greater durability.

But if you like the NIV translation, this new Thinline Bible is perfect for carrying with you so you can read or study the scriptures in different settings without hundreds or thousands of notes, maps, and references to distract you.

Scotty

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”