KJVI remember the very first Bible I bought; a KJV Thompson Chain Reference Bible with a Red Leather Bound Cover. I thought I'd have it for life (partly due to my being an A.V. guy at that time), but when I gave it to a young guy who didn't have a Bible I went out and bought a new one. Exactly the same!
That is the KJV I use when speaking for work and has many of my tiny notes as well as highlighting & underlining throughout it.
KJV to NKJV
When I was doing alot of camps & had contact with unchurched young guys I realized that for some unknown reason they didn't understand 'ye olde english' so I changed to a NKJV, a hardback MacArthur Study Bible.
I bought this in hardback because my intent was to primarily use the A.V. and use this when speaking with young people & enjoy the wisdom of its notes. But before long it had won prime place in my hand & so giving the hardback away I invested in a Leather Bound version of the MacArthur Study Bible.
Again this copy of God's Word has many of my notes, scribbles, underlining & highlighting throughout & I still greatly enjoy the benefit of owning such a study Bible (I like it so much I've often bought copies of it for others, indeed a leather bound copy of the Mac of study Bibles was one of the 1st presents I gave Barbara).
Jump a few years later and Barbara bought me a smaller NKJV, one a bit handier to carry around wherever I go & one that has been my primary Bible for about 4 years now. And now the ESV Study Bible is looming, waiting to pounce & struggle for primary use in my hands.
All this since I became a Christian about 12 years ago.
And that isn't counting the NLT, Message, NIV, Goodnews or Douay versions that I own.
*Update: 11/08/10 - I did get an ESV SB which is brilliant, but then received a gift of an Allan's bound goatskin leather ESV which is my Bible for life. (I'm forever grateful to my friend who gave it to me as it has become my most treasured possession)
Question?
But I was chatting with a friend about how older people we know, have worn out Bibles that they have used for 20, 30, 40 years or more. Bibles that are life-time friends, friends they would never dream of replacing! Which brings me to pose the question:
A Bible for life?
Or
Get a new copy when you come across a reason to change?
