"CELL PHONES IN THE CHURCH?" Part One

I had a friend from our church ask me several weeks ago the following question: Would it be wrong to use the Bible only on kindle or nook?  I have also had many discussions about when to use a Bible app on your cell phone and when to use an actual Bible.  

I love technology as much as the next guy and I also have the English Standard Bible on my phone as well as the Faithlife Study Bible (http://faithlifebible.com/).  I am very thankful for the ability to read my Bible and the study notes provided at any time during the day no matter where I am.

But what about using that Bible app in a church service or Bible study?  I read this question this morning...

I was sitting in church a few weeks ago and I didn’t have my Bible with me, so I looked it up the relevant morning passage on my IPhone (instead of using the pew Bible I might add.) I have several great Bible IPhone apps that I use (all the time) when I don’t have a Bible on me or when I need to look up a passage by keyword or topic. Anyway, while I was quietly reading the Scripture one of my friends, who was in the balcony and could see me on my phone, texted me, in fun, to “get off my phone in Church.” I tried to explain to her later that I was using my Bible App, but I don’t think she bought that as an excuse.

As a pastor, I have several concerns about the use of Bible apps being used in church services.  To copy the writing style of the book of Ecclesiastes...
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to use your Bible app, and a time to use your actual Bible...

First I will express my concerns about this subject, then I will give you some comments from other pastors.  I think it is great to have access to your Bible on your phone wherever you go, being able to read a few verses here and there throughout the day.  But I am totally convinced that the church is not a place to use your cell phone and here's why...

1.  Too many people in our churches are not familiar with the Bible which means they can't find the various passages of scripture which is why so many churches give the page number that corresponds with the pew Bibles provided each week.  So instead of trying to learn more about where the books of the Bible are, many folks would rather search their electronic Bible and find it.

2.  People who are familiar with the books of the Bible are can locate various passages faster than those who are typing it in their electronic Bibles.  We are told to study God's Word as illustrated in 2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV) Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

3.  We already have too many distractions during the service because someone forgot to silence their phone so why add more possible problems?  If your phone is on and someone texts you or calls you, then your phone is either going to buzz or sound off like a smoke alarm in the middle of the night.  Then everyone around you is looking at you instead of paying attention to what is going on in the service.  And if your phone is silenced but you notice that you got a call or text, you will be tempted to reply to it.

4.  Even if your phone is silenced, it would appear that you are playing with your phone and not paying attention to what is happening in the church service.  You might say something like 'That's none of their business.' but that is not what Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 (KJV) Abstain from all appearance of evil. or 1 Corinthians 8:9 (ESV) But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.  So even if your phone doesn't make a sound, you are still being a distraction regardless if you reading scripture or texting your friends.

    5.  If you are using the Bible app on your phone, you will easily be tempted to check your texts, facebook, or emails.  You might reply 'No, I wouldn't.' but the temptation is there just waiting for you to get distracted enough to take a peek.  And then once you stray from the right path, each step comes that much easier.

Here is the reply I received from Dr. Gregory Cochran, one of my fellow pastors in the Nelson Baptist Association...
I had them searching through the book of 1 Thessalonians, and the Bible users (as opposed to the phone/iPad users) were able to scan through more material, more quickly. There are advantages to digital devices, but there are also disadvantages. Paper bibles are easier when multiple references are used in quick succession. I think there may also be better retention with the written word over the digital word. But, clearly, there is no evil in using digital. (But there may be serious distractions--such as tweets, email notices, and facebook updates). I know of one instance in which a man in our church received a spam message from a friend of his which was pornographic while he was using his phone for its Bible app. There are definitely dangers associated with digital.

I hope to have more follow-up from other pastors for you to consider but for now, here is the bottom line.  Read your Bible, study your Bible, soak up as much as scripture as possible.  If you are at home, at work, at a restauarant, or anywhere else outside of the church, use your Bible apps if you wish.  However when you gather with other believers in a worship service, Sunday School or Bible study, put your phones away and use your Bibles as a sign of unity and respect to others.