There are many, many Bible apps and websites out there. Which ones are the ones that you use most? What is it about them that you like? Have you run across some that should be avoided? I think sharing these resources could be helpful to someone looking for more.

I will start with a few I like:

On my iPhone, I have e-Sword LT as my top resource. Supports multiple versions, has commentaries and dictionaries, and for on the go a really good resource. I have it installed on my computer as well. I think it is only a few bucks on the App Store.

Great free resources:

• biblegateway.com is great for reading in multiple translations.
• stepbible.org is very helpful, I use it a lot.
• I also use blueletterbible.org a lot, the study tools there are very good.
• netbible.org is the online version of the New English Translation and has extensive translation notes which can be very helpful.

Recently, I have dipped my toe into Logos, which is a bit overwhelming at first, but once you get used to it is quite powerful. They give out a free book every month. Some of them are good, some are meh. I have bought some books on there and the way you can search resources on that platform is powerful. Of course, Logos is free to use, but to get the most out of it you’ll have to shell out some dollars. I would be interested to hear if anyone has dove in and bought a package and what their experience with it is.

I don’t recall running across any that should be out-right avoided but as a general rule, we should allow the Holy Spirit to guide us away from bad resources and towards good ones.

For a long time, I was not really King James Only, but I was a King James elitist. I thought other translations were fine, but the KJV was the gold standard. After spending some time looking into other translations, how translations were made, textual criticism, etc., I un-elevated the KJV and accepted that there are a wide range of really great, reliable translations.

The KJV has one kind of glaring issue, many of the English words in that translation are either no longer in use or don’t mean the same thing that they used to.

My preferred translations are NKJV and ESV.

Why is it, that on this forum, the posts that are sensational about happenings in the CoG, generally speaking, get more attention than posts over theological/doctrinal/Christian life? Thoughts?

I am relatively new to this forum. I don’t have an account on the old system, but I have read many threads over there. There are exceptions, but mostly this forum seems to be folks complaining about things going on the denomination. I am not saying I don’t share in some of those concerns, and that we shouldn’t voice the concerns. It just feels like we’re forgetting that people we disagree with are still Christian brothers in Christ.

Any denomination (or non-denomination for that matter) is going to have issues, and no matter what group you might be a part of, you’re not going to like something that is going on. I am a CoG pastor, and I disagree with some things, and I don’t like some things that have happened, even to me within our denomination, but praise the Lord, we’re not a denomination that is even remotely close to going the way of other denominations like the United Methodist Church. We believe in the authority of Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. A lot of denominations are going the way of the world, but the CoG is not one.

Here is an example: I posted a question a few days ago about tithing, that got one response. It is a genuine question seeking answers. The posts since then have been about things going on in the church at large and are sensational, and they have a lot more comment. Is that what this forum is for, or should we be spending even more time being “iron that sharpens iron”?

Ministers of the Church of God are required to pay tithes, and to attest that they are paying tithes each month when they report. This is required according to the Minutes and is necessary to retain and maintain a ministerial license. Therefore, if a CoG minister does not tithe, then they are forfeiting their license. The question I have, is does this violate Scripture?

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 talks about giving, and when it comes to giving, makes a few statements. First, it says that each person must give based on what they “have decided in your heart”. Does that mean the requirement to tithe for ministers by the CoG is saying “it is ok to give what is on your heart, as long as it is at least 10%?” Secondly, and this is at the heart of my questioning, is the next part of verse 7, which says “not reluctantly or under compulsion…”. Those words, “reluctantly” and especially “under compulsion” (“of necessity in the KJV) are two phrases that seem to be contrary to CoG teaching. In focusing in on the term “compulsion”, the term means imposed upon. Paul, writing under the inspiration of Holy Spirit, seems to be teaching that no one should have to give under the distress of repercussions, or not forced to do what they can’t or don’t want to do. Being forced to do something you don’t want to do does not lend itself to doing something “cheerfully”, which, according to this passage, God love’s a cheerful giver. It seems that Paul is teaching here that God is more interested in cheerfulness in our giving.

With that in mind, if a CoG minister could lose their license for failure to tithe, then isn’t that compulsion? I think the answer is yes, but I am seeking someone to help clarify where I might be wrong on this. Is there anywhere in the Scripture where tithing is a requirement for the Christian?