Christian Book Notes

Introduction

You can read the first part of my review of BibleWorks9 here.  In that review, I looked at what was new in this edition of BibleWorks. In this review, I would like to look at the usability of the program.

Workshops

While there are workshops scheduled throughout the United States, they are definitely not necessary to begin using the software effectively straight out of the box.  There are two different workshops offered.  The first is the Essentials Workshop and the second is the Intermediate Workshop.

The Essentials Workshops seeks to accomplish two goals. First, to teach general principles such that you are able to use any of the features in the program. Second, to remove any intimidation to a new user. Let’s be honest, when you get a new “toy,” you can be a bit intimidated by all the bells and whistles. Therefore, this workshop covers basics like a general overview of BibleWorks, the general layout and how to navigate the program. Also covered in this workshop is the use of searches, the command line and how to copy and paste.

The Intermediate Workshop also seeks to accomplish two goals. First, to understand how, as a pastor, the tools found in BibleWorks fit into the process of exegeting Scripture. Second, the user is offered a chance to become familiar the tools and features that have the steepest learning curve with the help of an instructor.

Since this workshop is primarily for pastors and scholars, the objectives are much different than the Essentials workshop. They include reading and determining your text and outlining and analyzing the text. In learning how to analyze the text, the user will be taught how to use BibleWorks9 for grammatical and word studies as well as studying vocabulary, various themes, and parallel passages. The day concludes with background studies and cross references and note taking.

Do I need the Workshops?

As I stated above, this resource is very much able to be used out of the box.  Loading it on to your computer is super easy though it may take some time depending on your processor speed.  Because of the hover feature and the video tutorials that are available within the program, the new user can be up and running in minutes.  Also, the support tab on the BibleWorks home page is extremely useful.

With everything already set up for you, all you need to do is find a passage that you are wanting to study and then go from there.  Everything, and I mean everything, is literally a move or click of the mouse away.  Also, there are numerous modules available for additional purchase here.  With these modules, the question to ask is how far down the rabbit hole do you want to go?

Recommendation

If you are truly wanting to plumb the depths of the Bible, I cannot recommend a resource more highly than I do BibleWorks.  One wonders just how much more the Puritans would have been able to accomplish if they had this technology.  That only begs the question then – what is holding you back from reading and studying the Word of God for all its worth?  If you are looking for scholarly study of the Word of God, then BW9 ought to be your first stop.  You don’t even need to be fluent in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek.