It happened again. A guy from Logos contacted me yesterday and asked if I want some of their packages. I use to ignore such e-mails and trash them or even mark them as spam, but these Logos people are always so kind and their approach is so warm, personal and caring that I chose to spend approximately 15 minutes by formulating this kind of response (see below). I like what Logos is doing and I do know some people who had spent thousands of dollars in Logos, but there are features and circumstances about the whole thing that I find so much… discouraging. This is what I replied to the guy (his name has been changed).

Good morning John,

Thank you for your kind offer. At this point, however, I probably can't afford any of your packages. I'm a graduate student of Bible and theology on a Pentecostal seminary in Europe and a teacher of the Old Testament on a small bible school. I have hard time to pay my seminary dues, so any further expenses are beyond my imagination.

Even if I bought or subscribed to some of your packages, it wouldn't meet my needs. The books I need are either not included in lower packages or not available at all. Just recently I was looking for Gary Burge's excellent book on the Paraclete and I did not find it. Recent issues of my favorite periodicals (BAR, Journal of Pentecostal Theology, etc.) are missing as well and the fact that you want money for Themelios seems outrageous to me. It's available in PDF for free on it's official web site!

I would consider buying Logos package at some sort of dramatic long term discount. (I'm a full-time bible school minister and a student after all, so why not?) Then I would consider buying individual books. But I have to tell that Logos makes me sad almost every time I search it's web site for the book that I want. It's either expensive or missing. If only Logos app supported adding scanned PDFs with OCR layer to my library. But that in not the case as far as I can tell.

Some people I know are devoted users of Logos and they praise it wherever they go. For not-so-well-funded people like me, however, Logos doesn't seem to be the right solution. But I neither murmur nor grumble, because the Lord provides me with books in mysterious ways!

Thank you again. Have a blessed day.

Michael Buban

The reasons I'm giving why am I not going to spend any money on Logos are not exhaustive. I've been searching dozens of times through Logos website for a well known and very important books written by leading experts in a particular field of study… with no success! I further noticed, that the most recent books are seldom added within a year or two after it's official publication. Let's take David Wenkel's Joy in Luke-Acts (Jan 2015, but available earlier as PhD dissertation), which is already available for Kindle, but no way at Logos! This feature is stunningly discouraging if someone is to pursue a research that is conversant with the most recent developments. Not to mention these sky-high prices!

So, dear readers of this blog, as I mentioned above, I generally do like what Logos is doing. But it's time for pastors and teachers to send them a message that we are no longer stupid and that Logos is not the only way of doing research. If anyone thinks he cant do it without Logos, please use Google and other bookstores. You'll save hundreds of dollars with the same result. I know that older generation is sometimes challenged by the requirement of advanced use of computer. But it's worth it and your younger colleague is going to help you. Give up on Logos Bible Software! It may hurt for a while, but Logos itself may respond with something that will change the rules in favor of the customer. Let's do it!