Can I trust my Bible software?

[Fabian]

Hello 

 

I have found this file and it brings me to a point, that ask the same question. 

 

I know no one is flawless and there is maybe always some interpreting view.

 

More a point to consider about it than to accept all what the outputs are from any Bible software.

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Greetings

 

Fabian

 

 

[Julia Falling]

Thanks for posting the link, Fabian.

 

Don't you think that it is up to the student to interpret the results?  Accordance tagging will enable you to find the genitives, but won't tell you what kind of genitive it is – Partitive?  Separation?  Objective?  Accordance leaves it up to the searcher, be he scholar or student, to interpret.  From search results we can go to grammars and commentaries to see the possibilities and read the arguments for one interpretation vs. another.  Frankly, I think going with the formal approach is superior to functional – less interpretation in the search results.  After all, we can find interpretations elsewhere, including in the many Bible versions available in Accordance.

 

Expecting perfection of any person, any Bible software, any Bible version, any commentary, as you said, is unreasonable.  Perfection is found only in God Himself.  As a useful tool for Bible study, Accordance ranks very high, IMO.  Since the tagging is formal and not functional, we can avoid the gaps the articles warns against.  Additionally, Accordance is constantly improving our texts and tools.  It's up to us to be responsible users, students and teachers.

 

The article offers some good cautions.  But don't you think that if we stop and think and are diligent in our studies that we can avoid the pitfalls?

 

[John Fidel]

The author concludes: 

0. “Can I trust my Bible software?” The answer largely depends on how well you know the software. Any tool is only as good as the craftsman who is using it. The more you use the tool, the more confidence you will develop in its reliability. Bible programs are powerful tools. They contain many pitfalls awaiting the unwary researcher. 

That pretty much is how I feel. Get to know how the software. Understand the purpose of the search and evaluate the results accordingly. After study, unless you are an expert/scholar, I always consult grammars and commentaries to verify my findings and conclusions. I am impressed that he still has the Gramcord software. I remember reading some of his articles when morph searching was first introduced in bible software in the 90's.

[Michael Miles]

Bible study software is just a tool.  Some companies make good tools and some companies make maybe not so good tools, and the same goes for Bible Study software.  Some is more neutral or unbiased  than others.

 

This also follows for every single resource in your Bible Study software package/collection, as well as every printed book in your library, and even the words of real or self-called teachers of the Word of God that you may be exposed to.  There are resources where the author is spot on in one point and way off on another.  The Holy Spirit that you can literally feel and provides you with comfort helps you to find the truthful aspects and, as the Bereans, we toss the junk into the trash in our minds and keep the truth.  In my experience, many denominations (men's divisions) of Christianity all have chunks of truth mixed in with traditions of men.  Lots and lots of the traditions of men. It is your job as a Christian to seek out the Truth and sift out the junk.  Sometimes doors of understanding will open that can never ever again be closed to you, and no matter what anyone says or does, your mind will never ever change away from what you were shown.  You will never understand the Word of God without involving God in the equation, which is why some folks that are text critics don't have a clue.

 

Maybe you should be asking this question of Someone besides people.