Base Package Upgrade or Christmas Package?

gmonroe2@gmail.com
gmonroe2@gmail.com Member Posts: 15 ✭✭
edited November 2024 in English Forum

Hi!

I know this is all about opinion but I have to ask anyway.

I am a Student Pastor and have the Scholar Edition.  I've got about $600-800 to spend.

Most of my use of Logos is in message prep.

My question is, would I be better off to make the jump from Scholar to Gold or buy the 500 title Christmas collection?

Thanks for any input you may have :)

 

Comments

  • Dave Hooton
    Dave Hooton MVP Posts: 36,339

    I'd jump to Silver and save myself some money eg.  it gives you the full ($500 separately) New American Commentary (NAC) instead of 5 volumes. OTOH Gold has New International Greek Testament Commentary + NAC, which would be $1030 separately. So there is an immediate benefit if you value those sets. The bits and pieces of these and other commentaries would not attract me to the 500 title collection.

    Otherwise do the library comparison against the 500 title.

    Dave
    ===

    Windows 11 & Android 13

  • Mark Barnes
    Mark Barnes Member Posts: 15,432 ✭✭✭

    Definitely jump to Gold, for two reasons:

    • For the extra commentaries you'll get:
      • Holman NT (3 stars in my opinion)
      • Keil and Delitzsch (4 stars)
      • NAC (4 stars)
      • NIGTC (5 stars)
      • Pulpit (3 stars)
      • UBS Handbooks (3 stars)
    • It will put you closer to Platinum for a future upgrade. That will get you NTC (4 stars), Pillar (5 stars) and BECNT (5 stars).

    If you're a student pastor you might qualify for an academic discount (depends on what you mean by student). Worth asking. If you did qualify, you could afford to go to Platinum.

    This is my personal Faithlife account. On 1 March 2022, I started working for Faithlife, and have a new 'official' user account. Posts on this account shouldn't be taken as official Faithlife views!

  • Mark Smith
    Mark Smith MVP Posts: 11,845

    Definitely jump to Gold,

    Exactly! NAC and NIGTC and to a lesser extent the UBS handbooks are winners for a pastor doing exegesis. You'll also get the Baker Encyclopedia, the Encyclopedia of Christianity, The Exegetical Dictionary of the NT, and a few more language texts and tools. It is a strong upgrade.

    As Mark says Pillar would come in Platinum. That and BECNT are five starts for me as well.

    In the Christmas offerings Pillar and Black's would be my strongest
    recommendations in terms of commentaries. Lots of good volumes in those
    two sets.

     

    Pastor, North Park Baptist Church

    Bridgeport, CT USA

  • Donnie Hale
    Donnie Hale Member Posts: 2,038 ✭✭✭

    Gary: I upgraded from Silver to Platinum a couple of months ago. It was definitely well worth it and the best use of the ~$800.00 it cost.

    Mark & Mark: I know I've got Pillar from Platinum and that there are 3 Pillars available that aren't in Platinum. NIGTC is conspicuous in that it is missing a number of books of the N.T. (I'm leading a study on Ephesians now, and it doesn't have that). Same with BECNT. Do you know if those series have more volumes available in print than Logos has right now? I can stumble through the web site trying to infer what exists, is available (or in pre-pub), and that I don't have. But it's not particularly easy...

    I thought I should ask the experts (you two ;) while the subject was under discussion.

    Thanks,

    Donnie

     

  • Jim VanSchoonhoven
    Jim VanSchoonhoven Member Posts: 579 ✭✭

    Gary, I am a teaching elder, most would call me a pastor, and I am working on my DTH degree.  I would agree with what the other brothers have said.  I own the Platinum and it is wonderful.  I have many upgrade on top of that which I am thankful for.

    I am looking at these Christmas deals and I have never seen such great deals, but I don't have money for them, because I have spent it on even more useful resources, so I don't feel the least little bit sad! 

    If I was in your position I would upgrade to Platinum as soon as possible, and then I would work on buying all of the theological journals that Logos offers.  You will have good resources for teaching and for doing research for school.

    You and I are so blessed to be able to even consider these kind of options, believers did not have them just a few years ago.  Our true blessing is Christ, hopefully these resources will help us to see Him and His grace more clearly!

    Your brother in Christ,

    Jim VanSchoonhoven

  • gmonroe2@gmail.com
    gmonroe2@gmail.com Member Posts: 15 ✭✭

    thanks for all the responses. looks like I'm going for the gold. really appreciate the help.

  • Mark Smith
    Mark Smith MVP Posts: 11,845

    Do you know if those series have more volumes available in print than Logos has right now?

    BECNT has seven volumes not yet in Logos, including one on Ephesians. All of these have been released since 2007. I sure would love to have them in Logos format.

    Pillar has one volume on pre-pub but otherwise all print volumes are in Logos already.

    Pastor, North Park Baptist Church

    Bridgeport, CT USA

  • Donnie Hale
    Donnie Hale Member Posts: 2,038 ✭✭✭

    Do you know if those series have more volumes available in print than Logos has right now?

    BECNT has seven volumes not yet in Logos, including one on Ephesians. All of these have been released since 2007. I sure would love to have them in Logos format.

    Pillar has one volume on pre-pub but otherwise all print volumes are in Logos already.

    I now see that while the NIGTC collection has 12 volumes, there are 14 total available (I have the other 2). Eerdmans' web site lists 13 volumes under NIGTC (it doesn't show the Extended Paraphrase on 2nd Cor.). So I guess Logos is complete there...

    Donnie