Finally, if paper books can cost money to cover the cost of the paper, why can’t digital books cost money to cover the cost of programming, conversion, tagging, bandwidth, and media?

Legitimate question. I am not ordering anyone not to buy anything; my advice is practical advice, and isn’t necessarily always going to apply. But if a saint does all the work himself to get the text into a suitable media format for digital distribution, he should not ask for money for his work. His work is for the Lord, not for his living. My advice was based on the assumption that people who do such work are doing it for the Lord, and not for a living. If that is not the case, my advice is inapplicable.

And besides, it really just doesn’t matter. The point of this post was to recommend the best free Bible study software. Do not dispute over doubtful things.

Here’s a dispute though that is not doubtful.

You have no appreciation for the insights of godly commentators. How, then, can you use an English translation of the Bible, where you are relying on the insights of godly translators? Interpretation and translation are inextricably intertwined.

I do not appreciate ungodly commentators. I appreciate godly ones. I do not believe that the authors of commentaries commonly read are godly men. Matthew Henry, Charles Spurgeon, C.S. Lewis, and a host of other well-spoken-of men are wells without water.

Even the translators are usually not godly men. God nevertheless uses these vessels of dishonor to preserve His word for the saints’ sake.

The Scripture makes it clear that “the laborer deserves his wages.” Note that: he deserves. If he deserves his wages, how can you then say that he shouldn’t get any except to pay for paper? I’ll go with Jesus and Paul on this one.

Amen, the laborer is worthy of his wages (Luke 10:7). You misapply this Scripture. “And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages” (Luke 10:7). Take what is given to you, but do not turn religion into a business. I do not ask for pay for working for God, because I do not peddle the word of God. Yet I could nevertheless receive it, and such donations are what God likens to a laborer receiving wages.

The Scripture makes it clear that “the laborer deserves his wages.” Note that: he deserves. If he deserves his wages, how can you then say that he shouldn’t get any except to pay for paper? I’ll go with Jesus and Paul on this one.

Finally, if paper books can cost money to cover the cost of the paper, why can’t digital books cost money to cover the cost of programming, conversion, tagging, bandwidth, and media?

I think you need to think through these issues a bit more before telling others that they shouldn’t buy Bible software.

Also, there is no reason to buy commentaries or other such things. You wouldn’t want to look at the Bible through a lens (like Calvinism or Arminianism, which both nullify certain passages of the Bible). But even if you did want to surround yourself with all sorts of commentaries and other such things, they shouldn’t cost money.

I’m not saying, however, that paper shouldn’t cost money. When I buy a Bible, I am purchasing the leather binding and the paper. The Word of God is free and should always be that way.

But the text itself should never cost money. There is no reason to buy software just so you can buy those texts. It’s like buying your salvation. Religious teachers can sell their books, but only to pay the cost of putting the book together and distributing it. The money should never go to the author. Also, the author should make the text inside the book freely available on the Internet.

If a religious teacher does charge money for your salvation, and particularly if the profits go to him or his ministry, you know this is a false teacher (2 Corinthians 2:17), a peddler of the word of God.

Being rich brings a snare. It buys you access to all sorts of false teachings and other temptations. Truly, blessed are the poor.

First, don’t get Bible software that costs money, such as BibleWorks, Logos, PC Study Bible, QuickVerse, WORDsearch, or the Workman’s Study Bible. No matter how powerful some of this software is (or many cases, how horrible and weak it is), you don’t want to encourage their peddling (2 Corinthians 2:17).

Logos offers more than 8,000 books for biblical studies. If I’m going to buy a commentary set that’s not in the public domain, why wouldn’t I want to buy it for Logos and save money, space, and time? How is their offering me a great resource peddling the Word of God. Do you refuse to buy print books as well? To be consistent, wouldn’t you have to?

Confused.