In depth | Evangelicals Now

Beyond the Torah: Helping your Jewish friends see the full story

Ziggy Rogoff

Every story has a beginning, but if we stop at the beginning we never reach the ending.

For religious Jewish people, the Bible’s centre of gravity is the Torah – the five books of Moses read week by week in the synagogue. At the Jewish holiday "Simchat Torah", the final words of Deuteronomy are followed immediately by the first words of Genesis. It is a beautiful rhythm of reading, yet it remains within the orbit of the Torah; circling the same themes year after year without ever feeling the full pull of the prophets who carry the story forward.

Eastern Orthodoxy & evangelicals

Evangelicals, Eastern Orthodoxy and the Bible

Ken Brownell

One of the key areas of disagreement and misunderstanding between evangelicals and the Eastern Orthodox is in relation to the Bible.

For evangelicals, the Bible is at the heart of their understanding of the church and what it means to be a Christian. The Bible was of central importance to the Reformation, with “sola Scriptura” – Scripture alone – as one of the famous solas that have come to define classic Protestantism. Not surprisingly, the Bible is at the heart of Protestant worship, with the central place given to the sermon, as well as in spiritual formation, pastoral care and evangelism. Particularly in Reformed or Calvinistic Protestantism, there is an emphasis on always reforming the church according to the Word of God.

Study: 125 million Christians lack access to a Bible

Luke Randall

Bible access is restricted for more than 500 million Christians worldwide, while millions more cannot afford or reach one, according to a new study.

A report on worldwide Bible access, compiled by the Bible Access Initiative, assessed levels of access across 106 countries around the globe. It found that over 125 million believers want a Bible but do not have one, while “translation, publication and digital availability are not enough”.

A family ride through the Bible

Louise Roques

Book Review GOD’S STORY – OUR STORY: A Family Journey Through the Bible

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Parents, be encouraged by Joseph's story

Dave Burke

If you are struggling with a difficult teenager, you need to know about Joseph.

This summer, we were trying to get to sleep, but the family in the next tent were trying not to murder their teenage son. He did not want to be in Keswick for the convention and, greatest humiliation of all, camping!

How can the AI revolution help Christians?

Duncan Williams

More than 500 years before books became cheap and widely available, a German craftsman developed a technology that transformed how information could be produced and shared.

Johann Gutenberg's printing press, developed in the mid-15th century, is widely regarded as one of the most important technological developments in European history. Its impact was particularly significant because one of the earliest and most influential books produced using the new technology was the Bible.

New Bible for 14.4 million Africans

Luke Randall

The Trinitarian Bible Society (TBS) has completed the Chichewa Bible translation, to provide 14.4 million speakers from several African nations with an accurate translation in their own language after 11 years of work.

TBS undertook the project in conjunction with the Free Grace Evangelistic Association (FGEA) since there were several “textual and translation issues” with existing Chichewa translations. An accurately translated New Testament was released in 2020, and the TBS aim to distribute the fully translated Bible early next year.

Easy-to-read Bible launched in the UK

James Patterson

The EasyEnglish Bible has been published in print in the UK for the first time.

Produced by the charity MissionAssist and written in simple language, the EasyEnglish Bible is designed for those whose first language is not English or who struggle to read, such as those with dyslexia.

Worried by ‘discrepancies’ between the Gospels? Don’t be! Here’s why...

Ian Reilly

I didn’t keep a daily diary or record every conversation, but 35 years later I can still reconstruct the people, places, conversations, tragedies and turning points of a two-year period that shaped my early life.

But what does this have to do with the Gospels? Forty years ago I was troubled by differing accounts of the same Gospel event. In Luke 6v20 Jesus is “down” on “a level place” when He tells them “blessed are you who are poor”. But in Matthew 5v3 He is on a mountain and says “blessed are the poor in spirit”. If we believe Scripture is God’s inspired Word then why are they different? Critics also claim the gospel writers made stuff up because people could not possibly have remembered details when Luke wrote his Gospel 30 years after the events.

Mike’s on a bike for ‘Tour de Tyndale’

en staff

A passionate Scripture-lover is undertaking what he calls a “Tour de Tyndale” to “encourage people to read, know, and love the Bible”.

Michael Smith regularly shares the Bible at his local community hub near Bath each Wednesday morning at a gathering called “Bread and Bread”. Every week, a meal is provided and then a Scripture passage discussed.

Passion wanes for Passion ‘translation’

Nicola Laver

High-profile support for The Passion Translation (TPT) is waning, following mounting concerns about the book and its author, Brian Simmons.

And the publisher, BroadStreet Publishing (London) is reportedly “conducting an expanded scholarly review of the text”. Bible Gateway has now removed TPT from its offerings.

24/7 faith

John Woods

Book Review EVERYDAY FAITH BIBLE

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What stand-up comedy showed me about teaching the Bible

Rachel Jones

Three weeks, more than 2,000 shows and 2.6 million tickets sold last year. August is the month of the Edinburgh Fringe.

While the Fringe is on the list of things I aspire to experience, so far my engagement has been limited to reading the round-ups of top jokes each year. Best one-liners from 2025 included: “We named our children War and Peace – it’s a long story” (Olaf Falafel), “This spider has been in my house so long, it should pay half the wifi. As a web developer, it can afford to” (Sikisa), and “Everyone is worried about AI. I’m more concerned with what the other vowels are up to” (Rob Auton).

now this...

When darkness is your only friend

Ian Hamilton

God assures us that His written Word is not only absolutely reliable, it is also profitable: “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable” (2 Tim. 3v16). All Scripture is profitable. Not some of it, not most of it, but all of it. This is wonderfully reassuring... until you read a passage like Psalm 88. Stop reading now and read the Psalm.

From beginning to end, Ps. 88 is unremittingly bleak. The Psalmist is “full of troubles”, he is a man with “no strength”, all his companions shun him, God’s wrath has swept over him, “Your dreadful assaults destroy me. They surround me like a flood all day long”. The Psalm closes with the words, “my companions have become darkness”. What possible profit are we to gain from reading this sad and sorrowful litany? If Ps. 88 was your daily reading and you felt cast down in your soul, would it not be wise to jump to Ps. 89 with its exalted views of the covenant Lord? No!

Why evangelism and social engagement go together

Chris Wright

John Stott advocated “double listening” – that is, listening to the Word of God (to believe and obey it), and listening to the world around us (to understand and engage with it). He also insisted that evangelism and social engagement are both integral parts of the church’s holistic mission – like two blades of a pair of scissors or two wings of a bird.

The trouble is that some churches are good at one or the other but not both. Some preach and teach the Word, but avoid too much involvement in social issues. Others invest heavily in addressing the needs they see in the world around them, but are not known for evangelism or Biblical preaching.

meditating on 1 Peter

Peter meditated on the Psalms and we should too

Tim Vasby-Burnie

I wonder how long the Apostle Peter had been meditating on Psalm 34 before he started writing the Epistle of 1 Peter …

"For,

The Jewishness of the Gospels proves they're true

Ziggy Rogoff

When speaking to Jewish and Gentile friends you might have heard the accusation that the Gospel accounts were written centuries after the life of Jesus. Or even that Jesus is a legend disconnected from the realities of first-century Israel.

Yet the evidence tells a different story: the overwhelming number of manuscripts, and very early manuscripts, and citations by church fathers like Clement (c. 95 AD), confirm that the Gospels were in circulation within decades of the events they describe.

Memorising Scripture as a tool for enjoyment

Jonty Allcock

The Bank of England has deep underground vaults. They store gold bars that have an estimated worth of £200 billion. Squirrels store nuts. Humans store gold.

These are much the same. We stockpile what we consider to be of greatest value and discard what we consider to be worthless.

the Bible in action

Death and money

Martin Horton

“When he’d died, I didn’t like people saying ‘Oh, he’s passed’. Or ‘You’ve lost your dad,’ as though I’d let go of his hand in the supermarket.”

That was Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate, speaking on Radio 4 about the sudden death of his father.

Revised ‘Africa Bible Commentary’ out

Luke Randall

A new and revised Africa Bible Commentary has been produced by African scholars, in partnership with Langham Publishing and HarperCollins Christian Publishing.

The one-volume release has taken seven years to produce and has come out just under 20 years after its predecessor, which had been the first Africa Bible Commentary (ABC) to be produced by African scholars for Christians across the continent.

Anonymous giver helps five buy first Bible

Lydia Houghton

An anonymous donor with a generous spirit has helped five people buy their first Bible.

An envelope was left on Swansea Christian Bookshop’s counter, with a note asking for the money to be used to help those who were buying a Bible for the first time. Bookshop Manager, Rosemary Cole, told en: “My first thought when I opened the envelope and read the note was what a lovely, generous idea it was, and I was also really moved by the fact that the donor clearly wanted all of the praise and thanks to go to the Lord.”

Bible sales are up & ESV is best-selling

Emily Pollok

Crossway’s ESV was the best-selling translation of the Bible in the UK last year, according to Christian publisher SPCK Group.

And Bible sales are up overall, reaching the highest level recorded, research shows.

Have you noticed the endings of these Psalms?

Mitch Chase

The book of Psalms has five smaller books. They’re not equal in length, but the ending of each book is marked by various climactic statements.

Book I is from Psalms one to 41, Book II is from Psalms 42 to 72, Book III is from Psalms 73 to 89, Book IV is from Psalms 90 to 106, and Book V is from Psalms 107 to 150.

Review: 'Blue Letter Bible' versus 'Logos'

Paul Jackson

I was inspired by Jordan Brown’s round-up of Bible apps (see en article here) and wanted to make a further, more specific, contribution to the debate in terms of Logos and Blue Letter Bible.

As a middle-aged Christian, I have been using Bible software since the days of CD-ROMs! Bible software has helped me craft numerous Bible studies and sermons.

Do you feel like darkness is your 'closest friend'?

Mitch Chase

Near the end of Book Three in Psalms (which is from Pss. 73–89), things grow dark. In fact, when you enter Psalm 88, you feel like you’re in a room so dark that you can’t see your hand in front of your face.

Suffering can feel like that. Some trials feel so overwhelming, so disorienting, that the language of Psalm 88 fits them. The psalmist embodies the agonies and despair that a believer can experience in a fallen world. Don’t let anyone tell you that a real believer would never feel overwhelmed and despondent. Psalm 88 would beg to differ!

John 1: 'A rich and beautiful tapestry of the Triune God'

James Cary

I’m a professional writer (believe it or not) but was one of the few in my school year who did not choose English to study at A-Level.

Back then, reading fiction felt like hard work to me. For my GCSE, I had to read Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. It’s a classic. But it’s long, sad and contains an awful lot of dense and wistful description of the Dorset and Somerset countryside. I now live on the border of Somerset and Dorset – in the heart of Hardy’s Wessex. I love Wessex. It’s where I live. I enjoy seeing the hedgerows, oak trees and starling formations. I am still not hungry for lengthy verbal descriptions of all of the above.

Jesus' birth: The fulfilment of ancient promises

Mitch Chase

The Gospel writers boldly associate Jesus’ birth with David’s name. And they do this in order for us to learn about Jesus’ birth as a fulfilment of ancient promises.

In 2 Samuel 7v12–13, God had promised David that a future son—the seed or offspring of David—would rule forever on the throne.

Nunc Dimittis - 'let your servant go in peace'

Tim Chester

Nunc Dimittis, in the New Testament is "a brief hymn of praise sung by the aged Simeon, who had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah."

"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

the ENd word

What’s in a word?

Jon Barrett

I love words. Not only are some of them inherently beautiful, but I’m fascinated by the way we create sounds that contain meanings.

Sure, the Book of Proverbs does warn that “when words are many, sin is not absent”, but it balances the assertion by also pointing out that “a word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver” which, although probably bad for the teeth, presumably represents something good.

Young people are ‘open to reading the Bible’

Lydia Houghton

Lots of young people are responding positively to the question “What would you say if a friend asked you to read the Bible with them?”

In an Instagram reel posted by @uncoverJesus, seven out of nine young people said that yes, they would read the Bible if a friend asked.

meditating on 1 Peter

The Biblical call to 'submit to authority' - and what that looks like

Tim Vasby-Burnie

We should follow Jesus Christ in such a way that our lives cause people to talk about us, and in such a way that our lives silence that talk.

Peter assumes that the church, built on the foundation that is Jesus Christ – rejected by man but chosen by God - will be a people who are often rejected by those around us.

Isaac and Rebekah: Narrative 'nesting' in Genesis 24

Stephen Moore

It is a remarkable thing about the book of Genesis that it tells universal history by means of particulars – the small details.

"And before he had finished speaking, out came Rebekah – who had been borne to Bethuel son of Milcah the wife of Nahor the brother of Abraham – and her water jar was upon her shoulder. Now the young woman was very beautiful, a virgin whom no man had known. And she went down to the well and filled her water jar and came up. Then the servant ran to meet her and said, ‘Let me gulp a little water from your water jar’, and she said ‘Drink, my lord’ then hastily brought her water jar down onto her hand and gave him a drink. And when she had finished giving him a drink she said, ‘For your camels too I will draw water until they’ve finished drinking" (Genesis 24v15-19).

Now This

Jesus wept

Bill James

John 11v35 is not only the shortest verse of the New Testament, but also one of the most remarkable. There is no clearer testimony to Jesus’ humanity, as He enters into a scene of death and mourning and responds with grief and tears.

But it also provides a window into His divine attitude to sin and the effects of sin, especially to death. There is no indifference, no simplistic assurance that “all will be right in the end”, but lament at what has become of His world.

Bible app marks a billion downloads

Luke Randall

The founder and CEO of YouVersion has described the influence of their Bible app as “unimaginable” as it celebrates its billionth download less than 20 years since its inception.

The rapid development of AI has prompted questions around how far technology should go when it comes to matters of faith. However, Bobby Gruenewald believes the news that the world’s most popular Bible app is celebrating its billionth download worldwide shows the positive potential of modern technology for gospel opportunities.

Does the Bible need trigger warnings?

Graham Nicholls

The University of Sheffield recently issued trigger warnings for English Literature students studying Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

It advised that these texts contained graphic bodily injury and sexual violence.

the ENd word

Let your 'yes' be 'yes': The final challenge from James

Lizzy Smallwood

So, we have finally come to the end of our wander through the letter of James, spotting our respectable sins – those insidious ones that reveal our spiritual double-mindedness.

Well – I thought we’d come to an end then I spotted one we’d missed from James 5v12 which is a bit ironic because he starts with the words “Above all else…”.

Why should we love the Psalms?

Mitch Chase

A few years ago, I remember a young man—a professing Christian for a long time, I might add—saying without any qualification to me, “I don’t really like the Psalms.” And he had no interest in seeing why that might be a problem.

Now, if you claimed that other books were more impactful for you than the Psalms, that would be one thing. Or if you noted that the poetry of the Psalms was challenging and you were trying to grow in your understanding of it, that would be another thing. Or if you said that you were new to the Bible and you didn’t really grasp what was going on in the Psalms or why they mattered, even that would be acceptable.

meditating on 1 Peter

What is the 'good life' for Christians?

Tim Vasby-Burnie

What does the good life look like? What sort of good life can turn the heart of unbelievers towards God?

We are “foreigners and exiles” in this world – what sort of life shows that we belong to the age to come, the kingdom of Jesus? In this dark world, what can we do to shine the wonderful light of mercy we have discovered in Christ?

Christianity & Islam answer: 'What is wrong with the world?'

Andrew Marsay

This is the second in a short series of articles looking at Islam from a more theological perspective.

In the last article I looked at what Yahweh and Allah are really like based on the structure of the Bible and the Qur’an. In other words, what is God’s character like?

the ENd word

Trust and obey like Joshua

Jon Barrett

Back in the sultry, sunny days of the summer just gone, I spoke at an event that is an annual highlight of my year. It’s a bit of a niche gig, but it’s a weekend-long camp for Christian anglers.

From Friday evening until the middle of Sunday afternoon we live under canvas and pass the time sharing fellowship, eating together, fishing, and meeting for short Bible talks, times of prayer and worship, and an outdoor communion service on the Sunday morning. This year we took “Courage” as our theme and we began by looking at the first chapter of the book of Joshua.

everyday theology

Bibliolatry? Us? Really?

Michael Reeves

The reason why evangelicals treat Scripture as their supreme authority is because it is the word of God. In other words, evangelicals believe in what is traditionally called the “inspiration” of Scripture.

Today, the word “inspiration” can be a little misleading, as if Moses, Paul, and Luke simply felt enthused one day and started scribbling. That is not at all what is meant! By inspiration is meant what Paul teaches Timothy when he writes of how “from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings … All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:15-17).

Finding clear lenses for seeing Scripture

John Woods

Book Review WE WHO WRESTLE WITH GOD: Perceptions of the Divine

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500 years of William Tyndale and the English Bible

Brian H. Edwards

On 30 June 1513, the young king, Henry VIII, arrived in Calais determined to reassert his title as "King of England and France."

His army, together with the flamboyant and hugely expensive royal paraphernalia that accompanied it, spent three months achieving little before returning home to a plague-ridden England, with measles for the King and a miscarriage for Queen Catherine.

everyday theology

To a better understanding of ‘Scripture trumps all’

Michael Reeves

Again and again since the close of the New Testament, the church has reasserted the essential evangelical principle of the supremacy of Scripture alone. Why so? Quite simply, because that is what Jesus taught about how we can know the truth.

Mark 7:1-13 depicts Jesus’s controversy with the Pharisees over Scripture and its authority. A dispute had arisen over handwashing. The Pharisees’ concern was a religious one, that they might be “defiled” (v.2) and they therefore insisted on a ceremonial handwashing according “to the tradition of the elders” (v.3). Their objection to Jesus was that His disciples did not walk according to this tradition (v.5). To this, Jesus replied: “You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men” (v.8).

How can comparing Bible and Qur’an help with our evangelism?

Andrew Marsay

The July 2023 edition of en ran my article "How can we think deeply about Islam?", a precis of a book that I am working on called Thinking Theologically About Islam.

It is my response of amazement that a religion with as little theological substance as Islam has can enthral the minds and hearts of so many millions of people. But to understand why I am convinced that a much more deliberately theological approach to Islam is needed, you will need to know something of my religious background.

editorial

God, mammon & economics

Editorial

What are your views on the economic situation facing the nation and the world? What have you made of discussions in recent weeks around tariffs and globalisation? Such issues can often seem somewhat divorced from our Christian faith. And yet these are matters which affect all of us, every day, in many different ways.

At Evangelicals Now, one of the things we are interested in is “joined-up thinking” in relation to our faith and our world. In other words, if Christ is Lord of all, how does that Lordship affect every area of human life and thought? And that includes economics.

Why mindfulness is different from Biblical meditation

Dave Burke

We sing about it: ‘Be still for the presence of the Lord…’ We read about it: ‘Be still and know that I am God…’ But we are never still!

The Bible often speaks of ‘stillness’, and the things related to it, such as meditating and waiting on God. But Christians, especially evangelical Christians, cannot abide stillness. We like noise and activity, with a side-order of mild chaos. We don’t do stillness.

‘Exciting’ London Gospel launch

en staff

A galaxy of leading evangelical organisations is supporting what is described as an “exciting” new edition of Mark’s Gospel for mass distribution across London.

The giveaway Gospel is soon to be published by Grace Publications, in collaboration with Holman/Lifeway and London City Mission. Designed in what is described as “a contemporary zine format”, it combines “keen affordability with compelling graphics and design.”

Bible sales soar in the UK

en staff

Bible sales in the UK are soaring, thanks to increasing interest in spiritual matters from Generation Z – those born between 1997 and 2012.

The Christian publisher SPCK says there “was an increase of 87 percent between 2019 and 2024 – from £2.69 million to £5.02 million,” The Times reports. The newspaper added: “Bible Society said that its 2018 volume Good News Bible – The Youth Edition, was ‘by far our most popular’, with sales almost doubling since 2021.”

A God who cares about women

Naomi Dawson

Hagar’s story is surely one to be retold. In Genesis 12, Abram and Sarai were promised “descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky”. Yet Sarai remained childless and the pressure of this over decades would have weighed heavily.

So they took matters into their own hands. In Genesis 16, Sarai “gave Hagar to her husband to be his wife” and they used their slave to be a surrogate and she fell pregnant.

Another Bible version option

Vernon Wilkins

Book Review CHRISTAN STANDARD BIBLE,

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How can Scripture help you sleep better?

Mike Payne

It’s 4.10 in the morning, and you have been awake for well over an hour. You are battling with anxious thoughts, and sleep is impossible. You have an important meeting at work later on today, and you know you won’t be up to it. You see no way out. Help!

Have you ever been there? I have. And no doubt you have found help from the word of God. I certainly have. In fact, I have three ‘friends’ who have helped me. Three Bible words:

US Bible surge led by first-time buyers

Milla Ling-Davies

In the last year, the sale of Bibles in the US has jumped by a staggering 22%, despite overall book sales in the country only rising by less than 1%.

This increase, reported by Circana BookScan, has been attributed to people searching for stability and assurance, and is the latest sign of an encouraging trend of growth for Bible sales in the US. In 2019, 9.7million Bibles were bought by Americans, whereas last year that number leapt to 14.2 million, and in the first ten months of this year has already hit 13.7 million (Forbes).

Are seminaries failing in the teaching of New Testament Greek?

Paul Karageorgi

In 1453, Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, fell to the Ottoman Turks. This was a disaster for the Greeks but it became a blessing for Western Europe. It was inevitable that those who had the means, that is, the educated elite, sought refuge in the West and they took with them valuable manuscripts.

The spark that ignited the Reformation

For the first time there was significant interaction between Western scholars educated in Latin and Eastern scholars educated in Greek. Direct access to classical Greek works and the Greek New Testament was now possible. There was a keen interest in classical literature, art, drama and philosophy.

How to run the worst possible Bible study

Robin Barfield

What is your ideal Bible study? It may be one where your young people give you all the correct answers, quietly nodding as you dispense wisdom, and you get through all the questions you had prepared. I want to suggest that this may be the worst possible study!

Over the last few months, we have been considering the dynamic that the Bible gives us of God encountering our young people. When we open Scripture with them, it is worship! It is not a textual exercise like a high school study of Shakespeare. But that is what we so often make them.

And the best Bible app is…

Jordan Brown

App Review en recently had a website enquiry from a man name Gareth who asked if we could write an article on the best Bible app. This email was forwarded to me; I accepted.

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'Couch to 5k' but for Bible reading

Caroline Haley

Book Review THE QUIET TIME KICKSTART: Six Weeks to a Healthy Bible Habit

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How can Advent calendars boost your Bible reading habits?

Rachel Jones

I don’t know when we reached peak Advent calendar. Maybe it was 2021, in a fit of post-Covid desperation.

Whenever it was, it doesn’t seem to show any signs of abating. They are, as one newspaper round-up put it, ‘as much a staple in the run-up to Christmas as drinking too much and listening to Last Christmas for the 1,237th time.’ A cursory look at the John Lewis website reveals a wealth of options – you can, among other things, spend £160 on a ‘Dazzle and Glow’ beauty Advent calendar, or £25 on one with a month’s worth of pork scratchings. Take your pick.

Christopher Ash: Christ, the Psalms and us

John Woods

Following the publication of the new book, The Psalms: A Christ-Centered Commentary, en reviews editor John Woods spoke to the author, Christopher Ash, at Tyndale House.

Christopher is a Scholar-in-Residence at Tyndale House in Cambridge.

Trinitarian Bible Society grows substantially

Luke Randall

The Trinitarian Bible Society (TBS) sent 3.26 million Scriptures and Scripture items, in 38 languages, to 111 different countries in 2023. This represents a 13% increase in circulation compared to 2022.

A recent newsletter from the Bible-translating organisation, which has prided itself upon distributing accurate, Protestant Scripture since 1831, revealed positive circulation statistics for 2023, a year which saw them distribute 490,181 more copies of Scriptures (Bibles, New Testaments and portions) than in 2022.

lessons from Jude

'Once for all': the sufficiency of Scripture

Tom Forryan

It was the first Sunday of the year and we were visiting a large church in our town. After the service an enthusiastic young man came up and told me, 'The Lord has shown me you are in full-time Christian ministry.'

(How did the Lord do that? Was it a miracle? Was it because I sat at the front with a big Bible open in front of me?) Then he said, 'I have a word from the Lord for you: you will go to the next level this year!' I can’t honestly say that prediction was false – presumably I did indeed go to the next level in something that year, even if it was only my favourite computer game – but it didn’t trouble me. Why not? Because I believe in the sufficiency of Scripture.

the ENd word

Do you listen in order to understand?

Lizzy Smallwood

In my last few articles we are looking at how the apostle James views the ‘respectable’ sins that we allow to take root and grow in us unchecked.

So, on to another of James’ diagnostic tests. I read something recently that hit a nerve: ‘One of the biggest problems with our communication is that we do not listen to understand, we listen to reply.’

everyday theology

Are you a ‘real sinner’?

Michael Reeves

Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

Non-technical, readable and accessible

John Woods

Book Review John Woods offers his thoughts on the Hodder Bible Commentary Series - a projected 50-volume commentary on the whole Bible.

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the Bible in action

Why Leviticus? In Togo?

Martin Horton

When did you last prepare a sacrifice?

I’m hoping the answer is never – especially if it’s an animal or human one.

What does a Scriptural analysis of the King's Speech show?

James Mildred

On Wednesday, King Charles delivered the Labour government's first King's Speech in the House of Lords. Part of the State Opening of Parliament, the speech set out the new government's priorities for the months ahead. This was a speech designed to demonstrate that the new government means business. Themed around Labour’s five key missions, there are a grand total of 40 Bills, with four of these being draft ones.

Labour’s missions are as follows: secure sustained economic growth, make Britain a clean energy superpower, build an NHS fit for purpose, make Britain’s streets safe, and break down barriers to opportunity at every stage.

Ending gospel poverty

Jordan Brown

Web Review Biblica

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youth ministry

Do we need 'less Bible' in our Youth Ministry?

Robin Barfield

Evangelicals love the Bible! We know that God speaks through it, and we love hearing from Him. That’s why we love being ‘Bible-centred’ and we are keen to make sure that shows in our ministries and our programmes. This is all wonderful but I wonder if sometimes, in youth ministry, we push this dynamic too far in a way that hampers what we are doing.

Part of the problem is that we can easily lose sight of the dynamic which the Bible sets us. In the 70s and 80s the Bible became a book about us. The reaction to this was that in the 90s and 00s we were told this was wrong; the Bible is a book about God. This has led to a model where the adult teaches, and the young person passively sits and listens. Rather, the Bible is how God speaks to us. There are two people in this encounter: the giver and the receiver. What is occurring when the Bible is opened is that we encounter God!

Ten Minute Bible Talks

Jordan Brown

Web Review Ten Minute Bible Talks

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the Bible in action

‘How will people know that God loves them?’

Martin Horton

Imagine for a moment that you are a Christian in 1348. The Black Death is claiming lives throughout your community. And the Bible is in Latin, which neither you nor the priest understand.

Your priest is telling you the plague is a punishment from God, and if you give money to the Church you’ll gain access to heaven. You can’t read and you don’t understand Latin, so you give money you can’t afford because you fear the priest – and God.

The Bible’s storyline

Gordon Robertson

Book Review TYPOLOGY: understanding the Bible’s Promise-shaped Patterns

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Bible app for children

Jordan Brown

Web Review BIBLE APP FOR KIDS

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Discovering Scripture in Shakespeare – 400 years on

Cassie Martin

‘When shall we three meet again?’ ‘Kiss me, Kate!’ ‘Et tu, Brute?’ ‘We are such stuff as dreams are made on and our little life is rounded with a sleep.’

Imagine a world without the Forest of Arden, Malvolio’s yellow stockings or the drama of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor’s Antony and Cleopatra. Were it not for a small group of men in 1623, we wouldn’t have any of them.

Massive rise in Ukraine’s Bible demand

Slavic Gospel Association

Demand for Bibles has multiplied exponentially in Ukraine since the vicious Russian invasion, new figures are revealing.

Some national church leaders are comparing the situation to that of immediate post-Communist days, when there was a significant and strong spiritual movement, resulting in many conversions to Christ. The Ukrainian Bible Society reports that in the first nine months of 2022, more than 359,000 Bibles were given out – at least two and a half times more than the number distributed in 2020. The trauma of the war, far from setting many hearts against God, has in fact created a desire in many thousands to know God and the nearness of His presence.

10,000 Bibles for children

Nicola Laver

Many thousands of free Bibles have found their way into the hands of school children across London in just two years.

In December 2019, the Greater London Auxiliary of the Trinitarian Bible Society (TBS) was formed. Its focus has been on schools where 10,000 Bibles (King James Version) have been presented to children and a talk given about the Bible.

the Bible in action

God who does the impossible

Martin Horton

When you went to church last Sunday, did you know you’d be coming home afterwards? Back to preparing the Sunday lunch, an afternoon stroll, resting before the week ahead…

Imagine if going to church was literally taking your life in your hands – running the risk of an explosion, or gunmen bursting into the congregation; not knowing if you’d see your friends and family again, let alone prepare lunch for them.

The Bible in action

‘We are not left out’

Bryony Lines

When people can know God through the Bible in their own languages, it shows them that He has not forgotten them.

The promise in Revelation 14:6 is particularly poignant for Lugwere translator Davis Dedya and his people: ‘The good news being proclaimed to every nation including Uganda, every tribe including Bagwere, every language including Lugwere, and every people. We are not left out of the targeted end point – to receive and enjoy the good news.’

The Bible in action

‘We are now closer to God’

Bryony Lines

When Laminu first put his trust in the Lord, he began riding his bicycle 17 miles each week to the nearest church, and 17 miles back home.

Laminu is one of the Koma people who live in the Northern Region of Ghana and speak Konni. He comes from the village of Nangruma, which had neither a church nor a formal school. Koma villages are sometimes described by their neighbours as ‘overseas’, because all the major paths leading to the area cross rivers and are impassable by vehicles in the rainy season.

Bible now translated into 717 languages

Iain Taylor

Efforts to translate the Bible into more world languages are accelerating, despite the pandemic.

Wycliffe Bible Translators says 717 languages now have a full Bible translation – almost 10% of the number of languages spoken in the world – an increase of 13 languages on the previous year. Although one in five people are still waiting for the Bible in their own tongue, one new translation was launched every week during the pandemic.

helping children find faith

Five lessons on family Bible times (learnt the hard way!)

Ed Drew

I write books of family Bible times and I want to inspire parents to raise their children knowing Christ, but my own family Bible times are rarely inspirational.

I have a photo (not shown here) of me leading our family Bible time. I am sat in the middle of the sofa with my Bible open. Two of my children are curled over the arms of the sofa, their backs to me. Only my youngest seems engaged, and that is because my arm is clamped round his waist so he can’t escape. I use this photo because it captures our normal. Here is what I have learnt, with my own family, through all the mistakes, frustration and confusion.

The Bible in action

'It is a blessing to translate the Bible in my language'

Bryony Lines

‘Ever since I tasted the goodness of the Lord, I have desired that my own people would come to know Him and His salvation,’ says Simon, whose name has been changed to keep him safe. ‘It has been such a blessing to be able to work on translating the Bible into my language.’

‘Before I became a Christian, I was going on with my life in the best way I knew how,’ continued Simon. ‘Although I am from a hunter-gatherer community, my family had moved from the interior villages of Kenya while I was young, and came to more of a mixed (multicultural) community.’

Bible-reading on the go!

Robin Ham

App Review EXPLORE

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Too many Bibles?

Date posted: 1 Jan 2021

Dear Editor,

I feel very bold to be commenting on Chris Sinkinson’s article in November’s en, but a response immediately came screaming back at me: ‘Only Western Christians could be asking that question’. We all know that our brethren in China and other places are crying out for just one copy! This major discrepancy just cannot be pleasing to the Lord.

defending our faith

Are there too many Bibles?

Chris Sinkinson

The diversity of Bible translations can be a cause of confusion. Among Christians there are problems. How do we know which translation to trust when their meaning is divergent? Attempts to memorise Scripture are more difficult when we no longer have a Bible in common.

For sceptics, multiple translations can be an obstacle. Does it suggest that we cannot be sure what the original manuscripts said? Have translations changed the meaning over time? Is there an industry trying to make money out of the gullible by constantly producing new versions and new editions?

Is the Bible dangerous?

Lee Gatiss

Can a book be dangerous? Can it carry Covid-19 on its pages? Can it provide fuel to start a forest fire? Can you hit someone over the head with it?

The Bible may be dangerous in these ways – it’s certainly a big book if you use it to bash someone on the head – but that’s probably not the way most people think of it as a dangerous book. In one way, it’s more like The Communist Manifesto. That’s a dangerous book. It tells us that a spectre is haunting Europe – the spectre of Communism. And that through class struggle, we can have a revolution, and freedom. Workers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!

In Depth: Bible

Beyond the Torah: Helping your Jewish friends see the full story

Evangelicals, Eastern Orthodoxy and the Bible

Study: 125 million Christians lack access to a Bible

A family ride through the Bible

Book Review GOD’S STORY – OUR STORY: A Family Journey Through the Bible

Parents, be encouraged by Joseph's story

How can the AI revolution help Christians?

New Bible for 14.4 million Africans

Easy-to-read Bible launched in the UK

Worried by ‘discrepancies’ between the Gospels? Don’t be! Here’s why...

Mike’s on a bike for ‘Tour de Tyndale’

Passion wanes for Passion ‘translation’

24/7 faith

Book Review EVERYDAY FAITH BIBLE

What stand-up comedy showed me about teaching the Bible

When darkness is your only friend

Why evangelism and social engagement go together

Peter meditated on the Psalms and we should too

The Jewishness of the Gospels proves they're true

Memorising Scripture as a tool for enjoyment

Death and money

Revised ‘Africa Bible Commentary’ out

Anonymous giver helps five buy first Bible

Bible sales are up & ESV is best-selling

Have you noticed the endings of these Psalms?

Review: 'Blue Letter Bible' versus 'Logos'

Do you feel like darkness is your 'closest friend'?

John 1: 'A rich and beautiful tapestry of the Triune God'

Jesus' birth: The fulfilment of ancient promises

Nunc Dimittis - 'let your servant go in peace'

What’s in a word?

Young people are ‘open to reading the Bible’

The Biblical call to 'submit to authority' - and what that looks like

Isaac and Rebekah: Narrative 'nesting' in Genesis 24

Jesus wept

Bible app marks a billion downloads

Does the Bible need trigger warnings?

Let your 'yes' be 'yes': The final challenge from James

Why should we love the Psalms?

What is the 'good life' for Christians?

Christianity & Islam answer: 'What is wrong with the world?'

Trust and obey like Joshua

Bibliolatry? Us? Really?

Finding clear lenses for seeing Scripture

Book Review WE WHO WRESTLE WITH GOD: Perceptions of the Divine

500 years of William Tyndale and the English Bible

To a better understanding of ‘Scripture trumps all’

How can comparing Bible and Qur’an help with our evangelism?

God, mammon & economics

Why mindfulness is different from Biblical meditation

‘Exciting’ London Gospel launch

Bible sales soar in the UK

A God who cares about women

Another Bible version option

Book Review CHRISTAN STANDARD BIBLE,

How can Scripture help you sleep better?

US Bible surge led by first-time buyers

Are seminaries failing in the teaching of New Testament Greek?

The spark that ignited the Reformation

How to run the worst possible Bible study

And the best Bible app is…

App Review en recently had a website enquiry from a man name Gareth who asked if we could write an article on the best Bible app. This email was forwarded to me; I accepted.

'Couch to 5k' but for Bible reading

Book Review THE QUIET TIME KICKSTART: Six Weeks to a Healthy Bible Habit

How can Advent calendars boost your Bible reading habits?

Christopher Ash: Christ, the Psalms and us

Trinitarian Bible Society grows substantially

'Once for all': the sufficiency of Scripture

Do you listen in order to understand?

Are you a ‘real sinner’?

Non-technical, readable and accessible

Book Review John Woods offers his thoughts on the Hodder Bible Commentary Series - a projected 50-volume commentary on the whole Bible.

Why Leviticus? In Togo?

What does a Scriptural analysis of the King's Speech show?

Ending gospel poverty

Web Review Biblica

Do we need 'less Bible' in our Youth Ministry?

Ten Minute Bible Talks

Web Review Ten Minute Bible Talks