“God’s Word is Profitable” - Part Two

2 Timothy 3:16b

One of the most important jobs we have as parents is to introduce our children to God and His Son who came to this world be their Savior. The primary way we accomplish this is through God’s Word, the Bible. The Bible is the most important text produced in the history of the world. It’s the most important text your child will ever read. Joe Carter, a journalist who works for the The Gospel Coalition states, “Instead of considering the literacy process as the means of teaching your children to read, think of it instead as the process by which your child reaches the goal of reading the Bible.” This may appear to be a trivial distinction but when the goal of reading is to read the Bible you will think differently about how you create the desire to learn to read so they can read the Bible for themselves.

A good way to begin to create your child’s desire for the Bible is to expose them to Bible stories and imagery. For example, in this month’s Kid’s Krate we will read about boy Jesus celebrating the Passover with his family in Jerusalem. The child wonders, “What is Passover and why was Jesus celebrating it?” Passover is a jewish holiday that relives the Biblical story of how God rescues the Israelites from slavery in Egypt which sets up their next curiosity. “Why did they need to be rescued from slavery in Egypt?” To help them better understand the struggle the Israelites endured as they labored as slaves to make bricks for the Egyptians, we will not only read about it and incorporate pictures but give them an actual experience of making clay much like the Israelites were forced to do as slaves. Children develop a deeper appreciation of the Bible when they have relatable firsthand experiences.

Experiencing the Bible in engaging ways makes Scripture relevant and memorable. The Bible uses symbolism and quite often the symbol is an element from nature. If children can experience not only God’s revelation through scripture but through the general revelation of that symbol in nature, it can have a lifelong influence on how they read the Bible.

In previous generations adults could only read their adult Bible translation out loud to children. Today we have numerous options. Here are some things to consider when buying a Bible for your child:

Choose a Bible targeted for the age range of your child. Your child will benefit from having two, maybe three different Bibles before becoming teenagers.

BABIES & TODDLERS

It is never too early to start using the Bible with your child. There are multiple age-appropriate skills for toddlers that will lay the foundation for helping them to value God’s Word. Sit with your toddler holding his Bible and let him touch/hold it. Say “Bible” so he learns that the Bible is a book. Turn the pages of the Bible and talk about God, Jesus, and other Bible people. This will help him associate God and Jesus with the Bible. Using Bible truths that relate to his everyday experience lays the foundation to understand that the words of the Bible apply to me. Read short Bible stories or share 3-5 word Bible truths. Simple truths like “God made the birds,” “Jesus loves you,” and “The Bible is a special book” provide building blocks in their heart and mind as a lifetime foundation for faith.

PREESCHOOLERS

Full Text Bible Translations

There are 3 main approaches for Bible translations. Word for Word, Thought for Thought, and Paraphrase. The Bible translations we read today are translated from their original language - Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. In a paraphrase the author has not started with the text in the original language, but has taken a translation of the Bible and put it into their own words. A paraphrase uses a lot more words in an effort to more fully describe the meaning of the words coming from the original language. That’s why we love to read them; they make the Bible a lot more understandable, but they are more difficult for children to memorize from. For this reason I suggest getting a a Bible for your child from either a Word for Word or Thought for Thought translation.

Scholars regard Word-for-Word as the most accurate translation method. Many of the best-known Bible translations are word-for-word: NASB, ESV, KJV, NKJV, NET. The NASB is not easy to read due to the strict adherence to literalism, but is widely regarded as the most accurate translation. Though the KJV is regarded as highly accurate, the English is 400 years old, dating to the original publishing date of 1611. Our language has changed greatly since the KJV was published four centuries ago. The NKJV, a beautifully updated version of the KJV, was published in 1975. Many of the antiquated words have been changed into modern English words so that the reader’s understanding is greatly improved.

Thought-for-thought translations can’t be thought of as the most accurate translations, yet they are still amazingly accurate. The most popular of these translations are: CSB, HCSB, NIV, and NLT. The NIV is sort of hybrid between word-for-word and thought-for-thought approaches to translation. This makes it very readable, but the combination of these two different methods creates a unique literary style that some like and others don’t like. The goal should be to find a Bible in a language your child can understand and want to read every day. Another tip I’ve heard is to buy the child the same translation as their parent use.

A preschooler’s Bible should be a size he can hold easily, but not too large or too heavy for him to carry. It needs to be a full-text Bible with both Old and New Testaments included. It should have large chapter numbers and smaller numbers for verses. You will also want to ensure that the FONT style and the font size are readable. Make sure the cover is durable. Consider buying a carrying case that will protect and add length to the life of the child’s Bible.

Pictures in the Bible can help reinforce that people and stories in the Bible are real and true. Preschoolers learn more through seeing and hearing than through just hearing. Pictures can stimulate conversations, which can give insight into the child’s understanding of the story. Good pictures help children develop a deeper understanding of how the people in the Bible lived differently from people today. If the Bible does not have a picture for the story you plan to read, check online. There are lots of Bible story illustrations readily available free of charge.

Elementary Age

Elementary Age - Please read through the preschool tips above as they also relate to choosing a Bible for an elementary-age child. In addition to these considerations, there are many options for different study helps that appeal to different learning styles and personality types of children. At a minimum, Elementary age children need a Bible with maps. When possible, allow your elementary-age child to help select the Bible. In addition to all the interesting features inside, this age child appreciates selecting the color or cover design of his Bible.

The ESV Following Jesus Bible is full of outstanding content designed to help children understand and enjoy the Bible. Designed for children ages 8–12 as they transition from a beginner’s Bible, nearly every other page features a box answering the who, what, where, when, or why of a particular text. “Seeing Jesus” sections explain how certain Bible passages point to Christ and “Following Jesus” sections explain a text and apply it to a child's life.

Additional content includes Bible book introductions for all 66 books, a glossary, Old and New Testament timeline art, and kid-friendly maps. “God’s Word for Me When...” and “God’s Word for Me About...” pages also help orient kids to key Scriptures on various topics.