Which Bible should I buy for teenagers? …Another approach.
People are often asking for recommendations for what kind of Bible they should get for their teenagers. Should they go for the NIV knowing it’s probably the one they’ll likely hear in evangelical churches? Should you try something a bit more word-based like the NRSV or the ESV? Maybe they should go for readability, and so pick the NLT, GNB, or NCV. Perhaps they throw caution to the wind and get a Street Bible, Cockney Bible, or something else on the extreme edges of the paraphrase world.
It’s hard right! So, what do you do?
Well, maybe don’t. Or at least don’t just.
It’s probably weird for us to get our heads around this, but throughout most cultures in most of history, most ‘reading’ was done out loud with others, not alone in our heads. The Bible is a such communal book.
The Bible, contrary to our individual-driven, ‘in our own heads’ approach today, was never actually designed to be read alone – at least not mainly read alone. It’s a conversation-driving, worship-building, community-forging, book that’s meant to to be read with others. Yes, we can read it alone and we should, but oddly that wasn’t supposed to be the main way that we do it.
So, rather than fixating on ‘which’ Bible, we should focus on the how. How do we want them to read it, and how are we going to help them develop a relationship with it? So, whatever Bible we decide to buy for a young person, it should come with an invitation.
A Bible gift should always come with an offer to read it with them.
So, when handing a young person a Bible, you should also make sure it comes with a date, a time, and a place where you will read it with them. This could be a regular Bible study in a group, or a personal one-to-one. In this way, whatever the translation they have, you can help them understand what’s going on. You’ll also be in a position to answer immediate questions, direct their reading to helpful sections, and you’ll be instilling the value that Christians need each other to grow.
You should always give a Bible plus time. A Bible should come with the assumption of sharing it with them.
So, don’t just Bible dump. Give them a Bible with an invitation. Make time to read it with them. Do it yourself, get your team on it, or – even better – train people in your church how to read with young people, and do some matchmaking. Encourage young people to also read it with their friends, and steer your small group times to do more led reading, rather than just pre-packaged Bible studies.
These times of Bible reading should mostly be just that. Read a bit, talk about it a bit. Read a bit more, talk about it a bit more. It doesn’t need to be complicated, and it shouldn’t be overly prescriptive. Doing it this way gives the Bible more room to speak, but it is also much more applicable, because the young person is driving the reading time with their own questions, thoughts, and ideas. You can vary the speed as you go, and focus in on specific things they’re interested in or struggle with. It’s a much more personal – and I believe more helpful – model of discipleship than just handing them a Bible and giving them a few tips.
My belief is that every young person in a Christian youth group should have someone they can read the Bible with, and every gift of a Bible is also the offer of an invitation.
You should always give a Bible plus time.
Bibles are great! Give them out like sweets. But, just like sweets, offer to share.
Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash