Types of Christian Bibles

• People read many types of Christian Bibles. Bible image by Jacob Randell from Fotolia.com

  The wide of availability of many types of Christian Bibles offer numerous choices for people. However, the first-time reader can be confused by so many choices. When deciding on a Bible, first determine why you need one. The new Christian who has not read the Bible will need a different type of Bible than a seminary student who is studying to become a pastor.

Translations

• Bible translations provide a literal version of the Bible's words as translated from the Hebrew and Aramaic, for the Old Testament, and the Greek, for the New Testament. Translators use three criteria when assessing translations---impartiality, ease of reading and reliability. These versions include the King James, the New King James, the New American Standard Version and the Revised Version. Each of these offers unique qualities which will appeal to different readers. For example, the King James Version uses archaic yet poetic language which may appeal to some people but turn off others. The New King James Version addresses the issue of old-fashioned English by updating the words but stays close to the original translation's meaning.

Paraphrases

• Paraphrases offer a loose interpretation of the Bible, which may not reflect the true meaning in the original language. Two of the most well-known paraphrases include the New International Version and the Living Bible. These offer the greatest ease of readability, especially for young users.

Specialty

• Specialty Bibles provide specific applications for a wide range of people. Babies' and children's Bibles often use pictures and very simple language. Teen Bibles apply every day language and accompanying insights to grab the young person's attention. Women's and men's Bibles offer practical gender-related applications. Jewish Bibles expound on relevant cultural and historical background. Another option is to buy a parallel version of the Bible which includes two to four versions of the Bible side-by-side on the page, sometimes even in foreign languages.

  Large-type Bibles offer greater ease of reading for the vision-impaired. Daily or chronological Bibles provide specific reading plans so the reader will complete reading the Bible on a set schedule, such as a year. Publishers even sell versions for the bride, teacher or counselor.

Nonprint Media

• The type of Christian Bibles available through modern media seem to increase daily. The Bible on CD provides an easy audio option. Bible applications can be downloaded for iPhones and Blackberries. Other types of Bibles can be installed on your computer or accessed online.