Technology is sometimes incredibly useful. For example, we can have video calls with missionaries almost anywhere in the world. This blessing was not possible until fairly recent technological developments. We should be grateful.
But technology is not valuable in every circumstance. I’m thinking particularly about the use of Bible apps. Sure, it’s convenient to utilize a digital Bible in numerous settings like when reading (or listening) just before you fall asleep at night, or when you unexpectedly want to look up something during a discussion. But in a church meeting (Bible studies, Sunday’s gatherings, etc.), I strongly recommend using a “paper” Bible for three reasons.
First, the context and content of a verse or passage is more easily observed in a paper Bible.
I was once leading a group of men through a study of Acts 17. We discovered that Acts 17 falls within the telling of Paul’s 2nd missionary journey, covering nearly three chapters. I wanted the men to “see” the entire journey essentially at the same time by skimming quickly through it. This was a simple task for the men with paper Bibles who could survey the journey forwards and backwards with a page turn or two. The men “flicking” and “tapping” through a digital Bible, however, had a more difficult time seeing the whole context all at once.
Even the content of a single passage can be more difficult to observe on a Bible app, especially if the passage is large. In Acts 17, Paul and his team proclaim the gospel in three different cities — Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens. Interestingly, in each location Paul evangelizes in the “synagogue.” A Bible student could certainly note this when using a Bible on his phone, but it is much easier in a paper Bible to quickly scan the chapter (34 verses) and see the cities and spot the repeated use of “synagogue.”
Second, digital Bibles are distracting in ways that paper Bibles are not.
I once watched a man leading the Sunday morning meeting at a church sit down in the front pew (during the offering) and pull up a social media page on his phone. Then, while we were singing, he was checking his email! I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt — perhaps he had an urgent situation in his life and social media or email were going to be the avenue of gaining new information. I’m probably being too kind.
Devices being utilized for the Bible that also sing or ding or vibrate when the next email or breaking news arrives interrupt by design. For a small percentage of people who have poor eyesight, screens are helpful because of the ability to increase the font size and brighten the screen. But most of us do not need all of the distractions that might come when using a Bible app on a phone. We can (probably should) turn notifications off if we are using our phones, but even then, the opportunity to just “quickly check my email” is that much closer. Why not avoid all distractions — actual and potential?
Third, a paper Bible can become very precious to you in ways that a Bible on a device never could.
If I accidentally deleted the Bible app from my device, I would just download it again. If I was to lose my paper Bible in a fire or a flood, yes, I would survive. It’s the Scripture that ultimately matters, not my marks or notes. But oh how devastating it would be!
Why do I treasure my wide margin Bible so much? I have spent innumerable hours reading it, meditating on portions of it, marking words and phrases, and writing notes in it. I can take you to whole chapters and walk you through the content and meaning with the aid of an outline I have created and written in the margin. I can also show you a few places where I thought I had something figured out, wrote it down, and then changed my mind, resulting in scribbles through my old interpretation (which often locks in my mind what I now believe).
There is also the benefit of having a “location memory” when we use the same paper Bible over and over versus an ever-changing digital Bible. For example, I can tell you what side of the page certain books and chapters and verses are in the Bible I have used for many years. This sometimes benefits me when thinking through a particular subject or counseling someone. Regularly using the same paper Bible in a church meeting will only increase that kind of stored knowledge.