A free Bible reading/studying program for Android, Mac, and Windows.
The erasmus Bible app is a free Bible reading/studying program. It has a similar interface for all platforms, so you don't need to relearn how to use it when switching between Windows, Mac, and Android. The app is actively undergoing continuing development by individuals who have been involved professionally in Bible software for decades.
We find it misleading when software is offered as a "free download", but after installing it, one finds that although the "download" is free, using the program will cost you money. So when we say free, we mean exactly that: the download is free, the program is free, using it is free, and it is free of adverstisements.
The app is named after Desiderius Erasmus (aka Erasmus of Rotterdam) (1466-1536), a Dutch philosopher and theologian whom many consider to be one of the greatest scholars of the Renaissance. The Commentator Adam Clarke said that Erasmus was one of the "most correct Latin scholars since the Augustan age", several hundreds years prior. Erasmus prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament, which raised questions that would be influential in the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation. He was variously claimed and disavowed by both Protestants and Catholics.
The app is intended for pastors, teachers, and lay people. Like most things in life, one tends to get value out of something commensurate to the effort put into it. erasmus will not do the work for you, but it will make studying the Bible easier. You don't need to know Greek or Hebrew (or Latin) - you can benefit from those who had that knowledge and provided commentaries on the entire Bible, exhaustive encyclopedias, and other useful resources. You can also dig into the original language through the Greek and Hebrew Interlinears and lexicons if you wish. In short, you can dig as deeply into the Bible as you have time and desire for, without needing an expert or having to rely on potentially unreliable internet resources. Note: there are many good and useful online resources, but if you are not well grounded in the Bible to begin with, you may not be able to tell the difference between the good and the not so good.
We take efforts to provide useful material that is unmodified from the original reference works. The erasmus-project shares some of the same developers as the erasmus Bible app. You can visit that site to see some of the material that erasmus uses which has been made publically available for free.
Our Goals
There is a problem with Biblical illiteracy in modern culture. Frankly, many Christians today have a poorer
understanding of the Bible today than nonChristians had 100 years ago. Some of this is due to the perception
that the Bible is hard to understand or is somehow at odds with common sense, science, and/or itself.
But it this very illiteracy which feeds that false perception. We encourage people to read the Bible and
let it speak for itself - which it does quite well, even in older translations.
Our goal is to provide everyday people with the Bible and with tools to help understand and study it, packaged in an easy-to-use app that is available across multiple platforms. If one encounters questions while reading the Bible, the resources included with erasmus should help to clarify things. Even if you have no questions, you can discover richer meaning where the culture and history of the writers of the Bible is explained by scholars who have been trusted resources from over 100 years ago up through recent years.
We do not hold to any particular faction of Christian belief, although we would doubtless be considered by some to be "fundamentalist" or "evangelical". Though we may have various secondary doctrinal stances, we welcome differences of opinion on those non-core beliefs, which we think is healthy (even essential). But we do not compromise on essential doctrines. This will be reflected in included reference works. Thus, we will not include any resources that we feel are not treating the source text (the Bible) with respect. For example, poor scholarship - such as material from some fringe groups, like the Jehovah Witnesses - is not included. Likewise, material that tries to "reinterpret" the meaning of the Bible (as understood over the centuries), or that is overly factional, or is unquestionably (in our view) misrepresenting what is in the Bible, is likely not included. We might include such if also accompanied by resources that point out the errors, as such may be helpful in correcting misunderstandings of clear Bible doctrine.
Our wish is that erasmus will assist in growing your understanding and faith: sometimes gradually and sometimes through "ah ha" moments when things suddenly "click into place". We are humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve you through the countless hours we've spent (and continue to spend) on developing erasmus. We are excited for you to better grasp the indescribable majesty of Almighty God and His unfathomable love for us, shown through His Son, Jesus Christ. May He encourage your heart, and open your eyes to a much larger reality and a hope for the future that the world simply cannot provide, though it promises to. To the glory of God alone!
What We Believe
Click here to see more specifics on our beliefs.