Is Logos Bible Software Worth the Cost?

https://www.logos.com/

Big Idea: The extensive Bible software, Logos, though expensive, is a valuable tool for pastors, scholars and serious students of the Bible.

I appreciate good value. I shop at thrift stores and garage sales. It’s not surprising that I have been reviewing Bible software that is free or almost free.

Logos Bible Software is not free.

Well, mostly not free.

They have a free base package. There is also a free book, a free audio book and a free book from their parent company Faithlife each month. So that’s three free books a month. That’s a sweet deal!

Logos 10 has 9 levels of Base packages starting at $ 49.95 Fundamentals Package going to $ 9,559.68 for the Collector’s Edition.

Who is Logos Bible Software useful for?

Logos Bible Software can be valuable if you are a:

• Pastor
• Bible Scholar
• In preparation for ministry
• Bible study leader
• Worship leader
• Counselor

There are modules and specific tools available for each of these categories. There are specific paths of tools available for various church backgrounds such as Baptist, Orthodox, Reformed, Charismatic, etc. This makes it extremely useful for Christian workers.

Logos.com

What Logos Bible Software offers

1. An integrated system

Logos Bible software includes Bible texts, dictionaries, commentaries, concordances, and other helps.

Most free programs we’ve looked at use older resources no longer under copyright. Logos has top of the line scholarly recent works.

https://www.logos.com/

2. Numerous Workflow Modules

Logos has created workflow modules for Sermon preparation (of various sermon models), basic Bible study, topical study, inductive study (coordinated with Precept Bible Study), Devotions, prayer and more.

As you learn to use it, it streamlines your preparation time.

3. Useful for various church traditions

Logos can be adapted for various church traditions such as Anglican, Baptist, Pentecostal, Counseling and many other perspectives. The resources can be tailored to the need.

4. Logos can be an app for tablet or phone, or on a PC (see example below)

Logos Bible Software Pros

• Excellent resources
• Streamlined workflow
• All your resources at your fingertips, even on your phone
• Excellent tutorial videos and customer service

Logos Bible Software Cons

• It is expensive
• It has a huge learning curve. Learning to use it takes awhile. (But they have great tutorials!)
• It may have way more than you need (especially if you get a more expensive package).
• Ads. The home webpage is full of ads (though they are really helpful resources that are a good deal on sale or featured).

Computer View vs Tablet view

My Comuter view

https://www.logos.com/

My Tablet View

https://www.logos.com/

Scripture Spy’s recommendation

Logos Bible Software is an outstanding and time saving resource for pastors and those ministering to get people into the depths of the Bible. Taking time to explore its resources and learn how to use them is very useful.

Logos Bible Software can be very expensive.

If you are brand new to the Bible it may not be for you at this time. 

Even if you are newly preparing for ministry, check out free Bible resources first such as the BIue Letter Bible, Bible Hub or e-Sword. Or start with the free package or the $49.95 Fundamentals package. You can always upgrade later.

If you have become a regular preaching pastor, or you lead a Precept or BSF program, Logos Bible Software may be for you. 

 For pastors, consider asking your church to provide for the resource as it is a valuable resource for your ministry. Be sure to look for introductory discounts.

The Word of God always comes first!

There are many great Bible tools around on Logos Bible Software! Just be sure to study the Bible itself the most! Resources can be tantalizing and they are certainly useful, but they are not the very Word of God. They are man’s explanations.

The Word of God always comes first! Read it today!

This is the last post in a series about Bible study tools. There are many types of Bibles and helpful resources like a concordance or Bible dictionary. Information about their book and their electronic version are included. Cost and “how to use” is addressed.

Scripture Spy is taking the summer off from weekly posts. There may be a post time to time over the summer. She will be cleaning up some format and link problems with older posts, and also hopes to put the Inductive Bible Study series into an ebook format.  

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Previous: What is eSword?
Up next: See you in September 2024!

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Reflect:

1. Logos means "word" in Greek. Reflect on why the Bible might be called "The WORD." 

The next Sabbath nearly all the city assembled to hear the word of the Lord. Acts 13:44 NIV

 

2. Consider that the Bible is communicating God's words to you. It is amazing to have the God of the universe communicating with YOU. Think of that!

"Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." Deuteronomy 8:3 NIV, Matthew 4:4 NIV

https://www.e-sword.net/

Big Idea: e-Sword is a powerful offline Bible app for Bible study resources.

What is e-Sword?

Around since 2000, e-Sword is free Bible software for Bible study research found at https://www.e-sword.net/  I have used it for years and watched it improve and expand.

It is also an app for both apple and android tablets and phones.

It takes some download space but it can be used completely offline!

https://www.e-sword.net/

The difference between e-Sword on PC and Tablet

Here is what it looks like on PC

https://www.e-sword.net/

Here is what it looks like on my tablet

 

https://www.e-sword.net/

What I like about it

• The Bible (free with a couple translations including ESV, KJV and KJV Strong’s, and more)
• Editor program to write notes, Bible Study or sermon and print it as you see it
• Strong’s, many commentaries and reference tools downloaded for free. Easy to move between them.
• A wide reference library and books (mostly older resources are free)
• Maps and graphics
• Audio books and sermons available
• A good user’s guide and good response (I even wrote to the man who does all this and heard back right away)

What is challenging about it 

https://www.e-sword.net/

• The website provides so many tools it can be overwhelming and more than you probably need.
• There is so much available and so much to integrate it can take awhile to figure it all out.
• There are also resources you can buy.
• It uses what it calls modules to download extra material. Some are free and some you can buy.
• Resources vary depending on your medium. Some modules available in Mac and some in PC, some in Apple tablets and some in Android. You need to search for what is available for your type.
  
  

You can get your modules and support at http://www.biblesupport.com/

Here is how you can check resources available to download on your tablet.

https://www.e-sword.net/

Why is the Bible called a sword?

The Bible refers to itself as a sword and explains that it penetrates the heart and mind. It is first called this when Paul describes the Armor of God.

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17 NASB

For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 NASB

Before we had electronic Bibles on our phone, we had paper Bibles.

The challenge was finding a reference among the 66 books of the Bible. It is a thick book after all! It is important when talking to someone to be able to find your way to a verse.

When I was a child in Sunday School they used to give us sword drills. Bibles would go up in the air. No fingers marking a spot! And a reference would be given, with the word, “Go!”

It was excellent and fun practice!

The Word of God always comes first!

There are many great Bible tools around on esword! Just be sure to study the Bible itself the most! Resources can be tantalizing and they are certainly useful, but they are not the very Word of God. They are man’s explanations.

The Word of God always comes first! Read it today!

This series is about Bible study tools. There are many types of Bibles and helpful resources like a concordance or Bible dictionary. Information about their book and their electronic version are included. Cost and “how to use” is addressed.

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Previous: Five Tips for The Blue Letter Bible
Up next: Is Logos Bible Softeware Worth the Cost?
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Reflect:

1. Meditate on Hebrews 4: 12 and reflect how the Bible digs into your heart and mind. Mull on this and pray over it.

For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 NASB

2. How is the Bible like a sword to you in your daily life? If you haven't ever considered it, how could it be?

Five Tips For The Blue Letter Bible

Big Idea: The Blue Letter Bible has great tools for in-depth Bible study and their help features make it easy to use.

Five Tips for Using The Blue Letter Bible

The Blue Letter Bible website was started almost 30 years ago and has continued to grow in their quality resources offered.

The Blue Letter Bible is so named because the Bible online contains hyperlinks in blue to direct you to helpful resources.

1. Watch the 5 minute introduction

There are so many functions which are shown in action in this video.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/

There are 36 short video tutorials listed under the HELP icon at the top.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/

2. Touch the Study bar at the top

https://www.blueletterbible.org/

Examine the different resources available by clicking on a category. There are many commentaries, study aids, and other tools available.

 

3. If you like marking a passage try ScriptureMark

I love the insights I get from marking up a passage in colors and other labels. ScriptureMark is a powerful feature that lets you mark up a passage and save it.

https://www.scripturemark.org/canvas

 

4. Take free Bible courses

There are 8 different free Bible courses partnering with Lancaster Bible College. They are individually not for credit but if you complete all 8 of them you can get credit toward a degree program at Lancaster Bible College.

https://study.bible/welcome

5. Explore Sharable Social Images

The Bible quotes and quotes about the Bible are beautifully done and worth reviewing even if you are not on social media all the time. There are beautiful calendar pictures of verses and Bible clouds of frequent words.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/

 

There are many other things as you explore the site.

• Introduction to Books of the Bible by multiple sources
• Harmony of the Gospels
• Timeline of the Bible and history to 4th Century AD
• Thompson Chain reference
• The ESV Global Study Bible Notes
• Cult Resources on Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses

And so much more…

The Word of God always comes first!

There are many great Bible tools around like the Blue Letter Bible! Just be sure studying their other resources do not replace studying the Bible itself! The Word of God always comes first! Read it today!

This series is about Bible study tools. There are many types of Bibles and helpful resources like a concordance or Bible dictionary. Information about their book and their electronic version are included. Cost and “how to use” is addressed.

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Previous: Five Advanced Bible Hub Tips
Up next: What is E-Sword?
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Reflect:

1. Are you a visual learner? Do you like marking up a passage? Try out the ScriptureMark program using Psalm 18: 28-32 (You can also just print and mark or circle and underline words to distinguish.

For You light my lamp;

The Lord my God illumines my darkness.

29 For by You I can run at a troop of warriors;

And by my God I can leap over a wall.

30 As for God, His way is blameless;

The word of the Lord is refined;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

31 For who is God, but the Lord?

And who is a rock, except our God,

32 The God who encircles me with strength,

And makes my way blameless?

Highlight the word Lord and God the same, also highlighting pronouns for God.

Find another way to mark words that are about strength.

Note the repeat of the word “blameless” and the relationship between them.



2.How does this passage show us God helps us, and how do you see the Word helps us?

https://biblehub.com/

Big Idea: Bible Hub has powerful free resources that even the most advanced Bible study leader or scholar will find useful.

Five Advanced Bible Hub Tips

Bible Hub has powerful resources that even the most advanced Bible study leader or scholar will find useful!

Most are older resources, but the cumulative scholarly and godly knowledge contained in these books, commentaries and writings for free are unparalleled.

 

1. Familiarize yourself with the Bible Hub Menus on the home page

https://biblehub.com/

There are many tiles here. Hover on each tile for more information. Hovering works on my computer but not on my ipad. Click on each of them. Try them out. 

A click on 3 letters at the top can take you immediately to a task you do often. Hover on the abbreviation to identify it.

Find this grid at  Bible Hub home page. / https://biblehub.com/

2. Quick tips for moving through books of the Bible or verses

https://biblehub.com/

a. Start with the Bible passage at the top menu. You can choose the Bible translation from the 3rd column on top by the word “Bible.” Click on the lines for the full menu.

b. Use the blue arrows before and after a verse to move chapter to chapter or verse to verse. This is true for regular verses, commentaries on a verse, and interlinear texts.

 c. Menu at top can also quickly change book, chapter or translation.

d. Translation can quickly change using the 3 letter abbreviations.

https://biblehub.com/parallel/genesis/1.htm

e. For five parallel translations side by side of a chapter click on the 3rd row PCH. Parallel has single verses with many translations on the page.

3. Quick shortcuts at the top of the home page in off-white

https://biblehub.com/

https://biblehub.com/

If you click on the underlined heading in the following section it will take you to the page on Bible Hub.  Also if you ever get stuck and want to get back to the home page, click on the Bible Hub icon at the upper left of any page. 

Parallel – Done with one verse at a time. Includes multiple versions, Audio Bible, brief context, cross references, Treasury of Scripture references and commentaries for that verse.

Sermons: A list of sermons on the verse with the preacher’s name, with sermon texts.

Audio: Three different men’s voices available for audio Bible by chapter or when book.

Visual: Maps, illustrations and verse tile with various backgrounds to use.

Commentaries: 30+ commentaries available, written on each verse. The commentary page is divided with Expository commentaries on the left side using just the English Bible, and Exegetical commentaries that reference original languages.

Interlinear: The interlinear Bible is in either Hebrew (OT) or Greek (NT) with the word in the language, Strong’s concordance number and grammatical position.

https://biblehub.com/text/genesis/1-1.htm

Hebrew (or GreekGreek for NT verses) Each word from the original language is charted for text analysis with Strong’s number, The Hebrew word, the English word and it’s Grammatical position.

Lexicon: Similar to the Hebrew or Greek table.

Strongs : A Lexicon of Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Hebrew and Greek dictionaries. Additonally Parallel Study Bibles using Strong's, Parallel Verses, Cross References and Links.

Multi : On this page you will find the Bible in multiple languages.   

For more resources in other languages follow this. 

a. Go to the home page to the Multilingual Bible iconc. 

b. Next to the map is a search with the word "Bibeln." Click on that tab which will open the Red Bible menu at the top right of the page.

c. Click on that upper right pull down menu.

d. The languages will be in red and just choose the language.  

For instances, French has the capability to use the Atlas, timeline, interlinear, Strong's numbers and Greek and Hebrew research, Parallel Bible, and the Treasury of the Knowledge of Scripture in French with some topical searches.

https://biblehub.com/multi/genesis/1-1.htm

4. Quick 3 letter shortcuts to use

https://biblehub.com/

SUM - Summary: The book summary given, followed by a list of themes, topics, people, locations and Bible Study Questions

OUT - Outline: Book outline courtesy of the Berean Study Bible.

TIM – Timeline: Each book’s timeline, event and passage

QUE – Questions: Bible study questions for each chapter of the book of the Bible

TOP – Topical: Based on each verse - People, places, topics, outline, Dictionary of Bible Themes by Martin H Manser 2009.

BBB – Book by Book (Wilmington’s Bible at a Glance, by H.L. Wilmington, 2007 Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). Book’s Bottom line intro, facts about the author, key events, key people, key places, unique features, comparison with other Bible books, titles and types of Jesus

PCH – Parallel Chapters: Five Bible Versions side by side. NIV, ESV, NASB, KJV, HCSB

PSB – Parallel Study Bible: English Study Bible side by side with the Hebrew Study Bible (OT) or Greek Study Bible (NT). From the Discovery Bible team 2012.

TSK – Treasury of Scripture Knowledge: Bible Verses that correspond with each verse. First published in 1830 and valued highly since then. Includes the chapter outline.

LIB – Library: Quotes from various books in Bible Hub pertaining to a single verse.

ABP – Apostolic Bible Polyglot: The Old and New Testament in Greek, translated first in 1996 by Charles VanderPool who coordinated it with Strong’s numbers.

LXX - For the Old Testament, the Septuigint which is the Greek version of the OT written before Christ in the intertestamental period. 

5. Massive Online Library

https://biblehub.com/

https://biblehub.com/library/

Here is a sample of some interesting things in this massive library!

• Flavius Josephus: The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem (written 75 A.D.)
• St. Augustine: The Confessions of Saint Augustine (written around 400 A.D.)
• Martin Luther: The 95 Theses (written 1517)
• John Wesley: The Journal of John Wesley (first published in 1735 with last entry 1790
• Fyodor Dostoevsky: Crime and Punishment (first published in 1866)
• Alfred Edersheim: The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (written 1883)
• J. Hudson Taylor: A Restrospect (written 1894)
• G. K. Chesterton: Heretics (written 1905)

The categories are: Early Church Fathers, Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers, Clementine Literature, Apocryphal Writings, Apologetics, Biblical Studies, Children and Youth, Christian Living, Church History, Commentaries, Creeds and Catechisms, Daily Devotionals, Fiction, History, Life of Christ, Ministry and Missions, Poetry, Reference, Revelation, Sermons, Songs and Hymns, Theology


The Greek and Hebrew resources for Word Studies are:

• Englishman’s Concordance
• Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
• New American Standard Exhaustive Concordance
• Brown-Driver-Briggs
• Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

For more tutorials

An excellent illustration of how to use Bible Hub is from the Steadfast Family Blog page The ULTIMATE Guide to Using Bible Hub, especially useful on how to do word studies. 

Also if you go to YouTube in search you will find multiple videos on using Bible Hub for Word Studies.

The Word of God always comes first!

There are many great Bible tools around! Just be sure studying them does not replace the primary importance of the Bible! The Word of God always comes first! Read it today!

Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.    Proverbs 2:3-5 NLT

This series is about Bible study tools. There are many types of Bibles and helpful resources like a concordance or Bible dictionary. Information about their book and their electronic version are included. Cost and “how to use” is addressed.

__________________

Previous: Five Bible Hub Tips for Beginners
Up next: Five Tips for the Blue Letter Bible
____________________

Reflect:

1. As someone who has studied the Word of God with seriousness, what has excited you most to dig into the Bible? A schedule? A method? Your findings? The result of a deeper walk with God?

2. Take a moment to thank the Lord for His Word.