The Kindle Fire is a tablet from Amazon that runs on the Android operating system with Amazon’s GUI on top (don’t worry about the tech stuff. It just means it has a solid OS). It’s got some great features and a great platform. What makes it great for Bible study? Glad you asked.
There are three good ways to study the Bible using the Kindle Fire:
Apps are actual programs instead of books. Apps are my favorite way to study the Bible on Kindle. They have features such as split screen, bookmarks (great for memory lists), syncs to dictionaries (notes, commentaries, etc.), marking (color-coding, underlining, bolding, etc.), easy switching between translations, add-ons, your own notebook, and much more. For most of them the app is free and they come with a Bible or two.
Here are clickable links to some of my favorites:
Kindle books are a great way to study the Bible. Kindle has many Bibles available. They work just like any book on Kindle and are easy to navigate. I like that they start where you left off. You can get most Bibles from less than $10. I’ve bought most on sale for less than $3. Some of the navigation can be a little difficult for touch screens. I recommend downloading a sample to see if you like it before buying.
Here are clickable links to some of my favorites (there are too many to list them all):
Websites
You can use a Wi-Fi connection and the Silk web-browser to study the Bible on the web. This is great for websites that are designed for mobile use. You can login and the site will store all of your notes and settings. If the site isn’t optimized for mobile it might be too difficult to use. Features can be added easily and you can access your notes from any PC, smartphone, tablet, etc., with an internet connection. The only downside to using the web for Bible study is that it requires a Wi-Fi connection. Some sites can be more difficult to use than others.
Here are clickable links to some of my favorites:
There are a few other ways to study the Bible using your Kindle Fire:
Documents
One more way to study the Bible is by using documents that you store on your Kindle. These can be Word or PDF. I don’t recommend using these formats for Bible study because it is too difficult to bookmark your location. I use them for reference-works if I don’t have the books in apps or Kindle books (I have around a hundred books in PDF).
Audio
You can listen to the Bible as an MP3, audiobook, streaming, and books from Audible.com. Audio doesn’t take the place of actual Bible study, but it is a great way to listen to the Bible when reading is difficult. I use regular CD’s or MP3’s in the car.
So why use the Kindle Fire for Bible Study?
You can have thousands of reference works at your fingertips, you can add, edit, or remove your notes and markings, you can make the text as large or as small as you want, you can search easily, you can change from one translation to another quickly, you can see two translations at once, you can split the screen between the Biblical text and a reference (dictionary, notes, etc.), you can add Bibles and books easily, Bibles and books are cheaper than paper, you can always re-download your books and Bibles, you can read the same books and Bibles from your PC and smartphone, you can sync between all your devices, and you can hold it in one hand while reading in the dark.