Joe Allotta

Or is Scripture Prime a better name?  I want every passage in the bible to be put into a database. Then, once you click on the free Netflix Bible app (whether on your mobile device or smart TV), the home screen comes up and all your bible reading categories are on full display.

Categories

There’s a category for quick devotionals. This is for the Daily Bread crowd that only has time for a single verse and short paragraph. Then there’s the category that breaks-up the books of the bible into short episodes that can be easily read in 22 minutes without any commercial interruptions. (Be careful, on a rainy day or after a bad break-up, you’ll binge watch the entire season where Paul was in prison before you even realize it.). For those with more time on their hands, there’s some great feature length content, “The Patriarchs,” “Not Another Movie About the Exodus,” “Esther: When Bad Girls Go Good,” “Fast Times at Nazareth High,” and “RomEnds.”  There’s also some great arthouse style showings such as David Lynch’s psychedelic “Apocalypse” and Lars Van Trier’s NSFW “Song of Songs.”  Fortunately there will also be a Kids section that eliminates anything with Tamar and the tribe of Dan, and changes professions such as “prostitute” to “pop singer.”  And of course there will be the complete collection of all Veggie Tales.

Because you watched…

What’s great about Netflix Bible is that it learns your interests. After bingeing on Ezra, Netflix Bible rightly suggests other works by the same author.  In fact, Nehemiah automatically starts if you don’t press any buttons. (But it does make sure you are still reading before it auto-plays The Chronicles.)  If you give Colossians 5-stars, Netflix Bible rightly realizes that you’ll love Ephesians as well.  I can even picture the interactive nature. There will be little cross-reference pop-ups that will allow you to re-read the Abrahamic Covenant when all that “seed” talk is going on in Galatians and the mini-series “Melchizadek: Man or Myth” pop-ups when reading Hebrews.

Search

Now search functions are not unique to other bible software but Netflix Bible will be different.  You can search according to what your interested in. Search “most kick-butt chick in the bible” or “sermons better than my pastors'” or “encouragement after a long VBS”. (The answers are Deborah, Matthew 5-7, and Psalm 23 respectively.)

Netflix Bible Originals

Soon different Scriptures can be read by the narrating greats. Morgan Freeman will of course voice Jehovah. James Earl Jones will do Darth Lucifer and Jim Caviezel will be Jesus. The rest of the characters in Scripture will be performed by the familiar 4 – Dee Bradley Baker, John DiMaggio, Tara Strong, and Billy West.

In the mean time

First of all, I want a 1% share in anyone who can actually write the code for that app. Second, let me help you all to the best (free) online bible study sites that I think  exist. (Please comment if you have other favorite sites out there.)

biblegateway.com is actually my favorite web based site because of usability. It’s very smooth and intuitive and has lots of free resources.  The IVP Commentary series being one of the few online commentaries younger than me. (Not that older commentaries aren’t good, the bible hasn’t really changed in the last few hundred years, but using some good ole’ American English sure does make newer commentaries easier to read.)

ESV app is the third most used app on my phone. Facebook and Fantasy Baseball take the top 2 spots :(  (I’m not done being sanctified.) I love the fluidity between chapters and that I can easily make notes on any verse. But the best part is that it doesn’t need wifi! Booya!

YouVersion Bible app by Lifechurch.tv is my second favorite mobile bible app. Having numerous translations is nice but the best thing it offers is the Bible reading plans. If you are not on a bible reading plan, start today! Just FYI, there are people who swear by Olive Tree Bible app. (But the bible condemns swearing so they must not be using their app.)

Blueletterbible.net is also a great resource. The best part of it is you can click on any verse and look up any and every word in Greek. It links directly with Strongs Concordance and is a huge timesaver for more indepth studies.

Bibletraining.org is an absolute treasure trove. It’s nothing like the other sites and apps mentioned previously. It’s more like a mobile seminary with lectures on video and MP3.

Well, that’s my top 5.  What other free sites do you like?  What other features would you add to my imaginary Netflix Bible? (Oh man, Trulu Bible is a better name and not copyrighted.)