I owned Logos 3 Scholar for a year and then upgraded to Logos 4 Silver back in November and absolutely love it. Since upgrading I have concentrated on learning the new features and using the program more and more. I use it every day now for everything from daily devotionals to sermon prep. I have bought no additional resources other than what came in the packages, but I am now looking to do so. I am weighing the benefits of a further upgrade to Platinum versus buying specific resources.
It appears to me that even the Platinum is fairly weak in Old Testament commentary resources particularly and lacks a really top notch Bible dictionary - two things that I really need in sermon prep. For the around the same price as a Platinum upgrade, I can add the Tyndale Commentaries OT&NT (don't presently have them at all), the ISBE, and entire MacArthur Commentary set (presently have only four volumes on my shelves).
While I realize that the Platinum upgrade would give me far more resources for my money, I wonder if I would actually, practically be better off to spend the same amount of money on these resources I mentioned and save the Platinum upgrade for another year. What are your thoughts/experiences?
Greg Corbin:While I realize that the Platinum upgrade would give me far more resources for my money, I wonder if I would actually, practically be better off to spend the same amount of money on these resources I mentioned and save the Platinum upgrade for another year.
Greg
I think you've answered your own question!
It's really all about what you will actually use. I have Platinum but I have so many other resources (SESB 3.0 + miscellaneous others) that I don't feel lacking in the OT area. That is probably because over the years I've matched my buying to what I need at the time. As an expository preacher I tend to "tool up" for a new book of the Bible. That's what I did for the two OT books I'm preaching through at the moment, Esther and Genesis 37-50. In fact it's the way I did things when I was building my print library. With Logos the temptation is to buy sets, because they don't take up shelf space. But I have over 30 resources in the passage guide for Genesis. And I sure don't read them all every week!!
If you feel OT light then go with the commentaries. If you want good value per volume go with the collection.
Every blessing
Alan Macgregor
iMac Retina 5K, 27": 3.6GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9; 16GB RAM;MacOS 10.15.5; 1TB SSD; Logos 8
MacBook Air 13.3": 1.8GHz; 4GB RAM; MacOS 10.13.6; 256GB SSD; Logos 8
iPad Pro 32GB WiFi iOS 13.5.1
iPhone 8+ 64GB iOS 13.5.1
If you're looking for more OT, what about PrePubs? PrePubs are always good value
NICOT/NICNT http://www.logos.com/products/details/5184
or
Leupold http://www.logos.com/products/prepub/details/5380
I can't afford the first, but I have the second on PrePub, because I've used Leupold in print for years and he is good, solid scholarship.
Even better value can be got on Community Pricing.
Right now Barnes' Notes on the Old and New Testaments is available for a steal. http://www.logos.com/communitypricing/details/2132. I'm in for $35 for all 14 volumes!
Alan
Greg,
Everyone's needs are different, but in my teaching and preaching I would most often turn to:
NICOT/NICNT, Word, Baker Exegetical, Pillar, Black's, Tyndale, and BST.
I am more interested in exegetical commentaries than expository commentaries which explains this list.
For dictionaries you ought to consider the IVP Reference Collection which is a tremendous deal for the money. The two latest Logos releases from the IVP dictionary series are the two in the OT: Pentateuch and Historical books. Well worth owning.
Two upcoming Zondervan releases will be valuable: the NICOTTE and the NIDNTT.
ISBE is good, but I value having the Anchor Bible Dictionary as well.
Pastor, North Park Baptist Church
Bridgeport, CT USA
Mark A. Smith:I am more interested in exegetical commentaries than expository commentaries which explains this list.
Slightly off topic and newbie question but can someone explain the difference between exegetical and expository?
Looking up the words exegetical is a critical explanation of the text while expository is explaining what is difficult to understand. They both seem similar and I have thought they they were used interchangeably
.
Dave Smith:I have thought they they were used interchangeably
Dave, I think that you have defined them well. But rather than understanding them to be "inter-changeable" I would see themas two "steps."
Exegetical - Looking up the words & understanding where the Original languages are coming from or saying.
THEN
Expository - explaining what is difficult to understand - in a way a congregation can understand. And adding illustrations to help apply that understanding.
(Just my take)
Regards, SteveF
The line between them is often blurred. To exegete is to extract out of the text what is there. To exposit is to expose what is in the text. So they can overlap.
Basically an exegetical commentary deals with the text itself. An expository commentary focuses on explaining the text to others. Expositors must first exegete the text before they can create an exposition. So exposition follows exegesis.
Exegetical commentaries are (usually) more for research as one prepares to teach or preach to others. Expository commentaries are for those who want to get directly to explanation and application of the text. Exegetical commentaries start with the underlying Greek and Hebrew texts. Expository commentaries usually start with the English text (at least in English).
Steve & Mark,
Thank you for the explanation. Those terms make more sense to me.
I think outside the box, because I have very little money, but I love books and I love them the most in Logos, but I can not afford everything I want right now.
If I was you I would buy the Platinum, for the language tools and the super NT commentaries you would gain.
Plus you would also gain some OT help from the United Bible Societies OT Handbook series and Simeon's Commentary set.
But then I would also go to the sites with all the PBB books for Libronix 3 and pick up things like Barnes, Gill, and Calvin for some more OT depth for right now.
Next time around I would pick up sets like Tyndale, EBC and ISBE to help round out what you have.
Until then you might also look at some of the really good free programs out there that have some of the resources that you have mentioned for free.
I will admit, I have all the resources that you have mentioned that are out right now in Logos, because it is by far the most useful program, but for years I used free programs for things like ISBE.
Later I came back and got ISBE for Logos. I also have a bid in for Barnes when it comes out even though I have the pbb for it, once it comes out as a Logos module it will be more useful in that format.
In Christ,
Jim
Dave Smith: Steve & Mark, Thank you for the explanation. Those terms make more sense to me.
Just to add to Steve & Mark's excellent answers and thorough...I always use a concise explanation to remember of the "3 levels" of study:
Exegesis - What the text SAYS
Exposition - What the text MEANS
Homiletic - What the text means FOR ME (the "so what?" question)