FAQ

Then, purchase and install the app.
It is a free update if you have purchased the previous version.

Then, purchase and install the app.

  • If you want to use the Mirror in a browser on a PC or Mac, please Please see the answer to: “Can I read the Mirror Bible on my computer (PC/Mac)?” below.
  • Open this link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mirrorword.mirrorbible
  • Then install the app. You don’t need to purchase it again.
  • In case there is an error message while installing, please uninstall the old app first, then install again. All your bookmarks and color markings will be preserved.
  • In case you’re asked to purchase again, ensure that you’re using the same Google account that you previously used for the Mirror app.

If it looks like this, you’re on the new app: 

[ Please note, the title might be “Mirror Bible” or “Mirror Word” – both are the new version. It may also be dark text with a light background. ]

  • Main Screen: This is where you will spend your time reading the Mirror Bible. You can scroll up and down by dragging the text area, to get to the verse you want to read. Swipe left to go to the next, or right to go to the previous chapter/page. (If you are anywhere else in the app and want to return to the Main Screen, just tap the Mirror Icon at the top-left of the screen.)
  • Table Of Contents (TOC) and its functions: To get to other places in the bible, open the TOC by tapping on the abbreviated book name, e.g. “Rom”, in the middle, just above the bible text (called the Address Field). In the TOC, you can select a different book (at the top), which then lists all the chapters of that book. If you want to read from the start of a chapter, you can tap the arrow to the right of the chapter. Clicking on the chapter itself will open the verse-selector to allow jumping to a specific verse.
  • Selecting: To select a verse, tap anywhere to the right or left of the verse text. The selected verse (or commentary/paragraph) will be underlined. Once selected, you can open the functions of the Context Menu (three-dot icon , on the left, just above the bible text), which will then pertain to this selected text. These functions include Bookmark, User Notes, Color (marking), Copy, and Share. In the context menu, there is also a checkbox to enable/disable multi-select, making it possible to select more than one verse/paragraph at a time. (You can also select/unselect a word only, by tapping on it.)
  • Share: To share text, start by selecting what you want to share, using the methods described above. Then open the context menu (the 3-dot icon left-above the bible text), and tap the Share icon (the staggered-connected dots icon) in the second row of context menu options. This will open the Share screen, where you can select how/what you want to share regarding the selected text. By default, “Text” will be selected (at the top), but Hyperlink and QR-Code sharing are also possible. Towards the bottom of the Share screen, you can choose if it should be shared as Plain text (which is good for use in e.g. Facebook), WhatsApp etc. which will show verse text in bold and commentary notes in italics, or as HTML. At the bottom of the share screen, you can choose where to share it to, i.e. directly to another app (the share-icon), to the clipboard (icon with two stacked pages) – so you can Paste it into any other app (like WhatsApp) or document, or saved as a file.
  • Text Search basics: To access Text Search, open the Main Menu (which reads “Mirror Bible” in the Main Screen), and select the first icon under “Search for:”. It can also be accessed via the context menu. Various search methods are available, but here we will only outline the Text Search. As you type the word or words you are searching for, the search results will be populated, with the current chapter at the top, and up to 25 entries per page. (There is also an auto-predict section, which can be closed with the “x” on the left if you don’t need it.) You can page to the other results pages (if there are more than 25), with the yellow arrow buttons. To go to any of the found results, tap the arrow at the end of the found verse/verse-note to jump to it. When there, you can also go to the next or previous found instances using the previous “<” or next “>” floating buttons at the bottom of the bible text. There are also buttons there to return to the Search Results, or close search-mode.
  • Search filters basics: You can determine how your search word(s) should be used, by selecting various options in the Filter Menu (the red funnel icon to the right of the search text). Here you can, for example, select “Parts of verse” to search for a phrase instead of a group of words. See the chapter on Search, further down in this Help, for more details on the available options.
  • Settings: There are numerous settings that can be adjusted to customize the app to your liking. You access the Settings Menu with the gear-icon to the right, just above the bible text, in the Main Screen. As an example, the text Font Size can be adjusted in the Display Settings menu item. Just below that you can also turn commentary notes on or off, by tapping the “Show verse notes” switch. There is a whole chapter on Settings further down.
  • More help: There are 5 videos tutorials available to guide you through the use of the app. See: https://www.youtube.com/@mirrorbible

Some of the Icons mentioned above:

Some of the advantages of the new App upgrade are:

  • The latest translated text and commentary updates are all included. (Including all the chapters of Acts.)
  • The visual representation closely resembles the printed books, with the use of bold, italics, indents, and footnote numbers.
  • Commentary notes can be turned on or off with one click! Simply go the Settings Menu with the gear-icon to the right, just above the bible text, in the Main Screen. Tap, Display Settings and slide the Show verse Notes option.
  • You can now add your own notes and bookmarks to any verse, verse commentary, and even Extended Notes chapters.
  • For color markings (highlights), you can mark verses or words. For words, you can choose if it should be marked in one verse, a chapter, or in the whole bible. Colours can be configured and even labeled as you prefer.
  • The search functionality is greatly enhanced. Words or parts of verses can be searched in combination with several other filters and settings. It is even possible to search for multiple words that occur within a configurable range of verses, or in a whole chapter. Search results are shown in a selectable list (with occurrence statistics) and can also be paged through sequentially.
  • Scripture references are clickable Hyperlinks. A history of jumping to different places in the Bible (via Table Of Contents, search, or hyperlinks) is kept, making it easy to go back to where you were reading before.
  • The Copy & Share functionality allows Plain Text and Formatted Text sharing.
  • Highly configurable Read Aloud is available, using text-to-speech.
  • Compare mode shows the Mirror Bible side-by-side to a number of other Bibles – which will be extended later.
  • A comprehensive help text is available, which also contains a link to video tutorials covering the basic functionality.
  • The app user interface itself is currently available in seven languages.
  • Light and dark mode, as well as portrait or landscape orientation on phones and tablets, is supported.
  • We plan to update the Mirror Bible text as well as the app more frequently. The app will notify you after any update. (If your Automatic Updates preference has been turned off, remember to check for updates in the App Store)

Once you have paid for the Mirror Bible app, any new content that becomes available will automatically be downloaded to your device, free of charge.

(If you have a Kindle, the content is also updated from time to time. Please view: https://mirrorword.net/kindle-2/ )

The app is currently available for iOS (Apple), and Android devices. It works on phones, tablets and iPads. It can be downloaded from the App / Play Stores respectively. (See the instructions at the start of this FAQ page) .

PS. We are also working on a version which will work on an internet browser, making it possible to use it on any computer. Please see the answer to: “Can I read the Mirror Bible on my computer (PC/Mac)?” below.

Yes, you may install the app on your devices which are linked to the same Play Store / App Store account for which you purchased it.
Your stored highlights, bookmarks and notes will be shared with all your devices.

We’re working on a solution for this, and it should be available soon. App users will be able to buy an upgrade to be able to use the web-version, when it is released.

PS. You can preview the web version by opening:  https://mirror.bible in your browser. It’s a demo version, containing only a portion of the Letter to the Romans, and the Introduction chapters.

You are most probably still on the old version of the App. Last year, a whole new app was released, replacing the old one (free of charge if you purchased the old App). You can update it on the Play/App Store page, or, if you are struggling, look at the first items of this FAQ page.

In this case, we can’t find your Android or Apple account in our database. Please ensure you use the same account that you’ve previously used for the Mirror app. Should that not be possible, you have to purchase the app.

If this happens, all is ok. You can use either one. As long as you choose the correct Google account on first start of the app (or in “General settings”) – both apps work identically. 

We suggest that you prefer using the “Mirror Word” app over “Mirror Bible” one, as this app will be used going forward.

The Mirror Study Bible is a work in progress.

Having translated several Pauline epistles in the eighties, which were never published, Francois started to translate again in 2007. This he made available for free online and on his Facebook page along with daily posts from his book, God Believes in You.

In September 2011, he and his wife, Lydia were invited to America where they ministered for 6 weeks from the West to the East coast and met many FaceBook friends and ministries who already started printing the Mirror, which they downloaded from the internet.

So, in August 2012 Francois officially published the 1st edition Mirror Bible in a small A5 book of just over 200 pages.

Francois says that, at the time, he only wished to do select portions of the New Testament which were key scriptures that most radically impacted his life and ministry since the eighties.

He continues, “It soon became clear to me that to complete the New Testament would become my life’s mission and largest platform of ministry I could ever hope for!  

People ask me if I’ll also do the Old Testament, my answer is, maybe a few chapters here and there,  but, I’ve always enjoyed Luke’s interview with the two people on their way to Emmaus, [Luke 24] and how Jesus, initially, a stranger to them, began to point to himself in Scripture, quoting Moses and the prophets [Including Prophet David in the Psalms] and then later, in their reflection of this conversation, they said, ‘Did not our hearts ignite within us while he spoke to us on the way!’

For the first time, they began to see themselves, mirrored and redeemed in the Messiah; with this ‘stranger’ speaking these words from their ‘familiar’ Scriptures!

Their eyes finally opened around the dinner table, when he took the bread and broke it, they suddenly recognized him as the risen Jesus, the Messiah of the world! 

So, throughout the Mirror Study Bible, I continue to constantly reference many OT Scriptures and the relevance of the prophetic word, and its ultimate destiny fulfilled in the Incarnation!

Then, Paul makes this amazing statement, that we are living Epistles – God speaking mother tongue language through our lives, KNOWN AND READ BY ALL!

The commentary notes make the Mirror Bible a totally unique Study Bible. Its reference to the etymological values hidden in the ancient languages, bring a fresh light to the word.

Baxter Kruger: “Francois’ paraphrase challenges everything you thought you knew about this book. Astonishingly beautiful, and wonderfully controversial.”

Bob and Judith Mumford: “Francois’ love for the text, his sheer exegetical courage and his astonishing ability to express essential biblical pre-suppositions in the intimate Love language of God, has opened for Judith and me a renewed and transformative biblical understanding.”

In his Foreword, Bryan Paul Brand writes, “Paraphrased in contemporary speech with commentary.
As a recovering legalist I can still remember thinking that the words “Paraphrased Bible” were oxymoronic. That might be true if Holy Spirit had gotten out of the business of inspiring both writers and readers. I for one think she has not. Nor have the five fold Ministry gifts, one of which is “teacher”, ceased. One attempting to disabuse me of the idea that Francois’ writing gift is a gift to the churched and the unchurched, might expect to have the same success as one attempting to convince the two on the road to Emmaus that the strange warmth in their hearts as Jesus opened the scripture to them was actually just the result of acid reflux.

How appropriate it is that this 1500 (+/-) page three volume masterpiece is so heavy that it almost requires a small wheelbarrow to tote around. It contains such resonance that no earthly teacher has to assign it to us as STUDY material that we must read during the semester and cram in order to prepare for the final exam so we don’t flunk out. I never study it under any compulsion … but for the sheer joy of exploring the vistas of beauty that await over the next hill and around each corner. Personally, I find stopping much more challenging than starting. I’m guessing that the MSB might be one of the world’s heaviest Bibles, but for me it is far easier to pick up … than to put down.”

A brief summary:

The Mirror Study Bible is a paraphrased translation from the Greek text. 

While strictly following the literal meaning of the original, sentences have been constructed so that the larger meaning is continually emphasized by means of an expanded text.

Some clarifying notes and commentary are included in italics. This is a paraphrased study rather than a literal translation. While the detailed shades of meaning of every Greek word and its components have been closely studied, this is done taking into account the consistent context of the entire chapter within the wider epistle, and bearing in mind that Jesus is what the Scriptures are all about and humankind is what Jesus is all about. 

To assist the reader in their study, Francois has numerically superscripted many of the Greeks words and corresponded it with the closest English words in the italicized commentary that follows the verse. This is to create a direct comparison of words between the two languages. 

The 3-Volume, 10 X 7 inch Mirror Study Bible is presently published as the 13th edition and early 2026, the 14th edition will be available as a plus minus 1700 page book.
Having just completed a seven-year project with Luke’s amazing contribution to the NT, he finally completed the entire book of Acts in October 2025.

The currently available Mirror Study Bible books include:

  • Luke’s Gospel
  • John’s Gospel
  • Acts
  • Romans
  • 1 Corinthians
  • 2 Corinthians
  • Galatians
  • Ephesians
  • Philippians
  • Colossians
  • 1 Thessalonians
  • 2 Timothy
  • Titus
  • Philemon
  • Hebrews
  • James
  • 1 Peter 1 & 2
  • 2 Peter 1
  • 1 John
  • Revelation

Hungarian and Spanish texts are almost ready, and we hope to have a German, Afrikaans and Czechoslovakian version by mid 2026, with Portuguese, and French also in the pipeline!

The App user interface language (and Help) can however be set to one of eight different languages. To change it, open the Settings Menu (the gear icon top-right of the screen when the Bible text is displayed) and select “App language”.

As there are many functions in the Mirror app, this may indeed be overwhelming, but it is actually intuitive and easy to use once you understand it!

Please see FAQ no.4 above for a Quick Start guide to help you get going.

The font-size of the Bible text is totally configurable (independently from your device’s text size). 

  • Open the Settings Menu, by tapping the gear icon near the top right corner of the app (if the gear icon is not visible, tap the Mirror logo at the top-left of the screen, even a few times, until the Bible text is visible). 
  • Now select the “Display settings” menu item, and move the slider under the “Font size:” until the Font name (above the “Font size”) is the desired size. 
  • You can also change the Font type by tapping the down arrow next to the current Font name.

PS. There are also various Bible text display options available in the Display Settings. At the very bottom you can also override the Display mode (“Brightness”) to either “Same as device” (the default), “Light mode” or “Dark mode”.

The toggle can be found in the “Display settings”. You get there by tapping the gear icon (near the top right corner of the Mirror App), to open the “Settings” menu. Then use the “Show verse notes” toggle to turn it on or off.

This is not possible directly, but there are tools available to help you use some of the Mirror Bible text in your presentation software:

  • You can Copy or Share (or save to a file) a limited range of verses and/or verse-notes at a time, using the Share item in the Context Menu, after selecting them. (You can even select verses in the Search screen as well to get to the correct text to use.)
  • Currently only: Plain Text, Markdown (as used in e.g. WhatsApp), and HTML share/copy of Bible text is implemented.
  • Alternatively, you can use the Mirror Bible App on your Android or iOS device and connect it to your beamer/TV/screen. Many devices and beamers allow you to connect.
  • In the Mirror Bible, there are multiple ways to adjust the display to your needs. Fonts, font sizes, background and font colors, selection of verses, different way to scroll. And a displayable QR code so every participant with a phone can see the selected bible place on their own device!
  • In addition, we’re working on a solution to read the Mirror Bible in any browser. Then you can also use your PC/Mac to present the texts! If you want to preview this, open https://mirror.bible. That’s a demo version of the Mirror, containing only a portion of the Letter to the Romans. But you can check if it fits your needs.

Yes. The only thing you need to do is: 

  • On first startup of the new app, you’re asked to choose which Google/Apple account you want to use for the Mirror app. 
  • Please choose the same account that you’ve used for the old app. Then, all your bookmarks and colors will be there.
  • If you’re not happy with the voice you’re hearing, please go to the “Read aloud settings” (tap the gear icon near the top right corner to open the Setting menu, if it is not visible, tap the Mirror logo at the top-left of the screen, even a few times, until the Bible text is visible). There, select the “Settings for read aloud” item. For most languages, you can choose between (many) different voices. Please try those, as the differences between these voices are often huge.

PS. Please note that currently the Read-Aloud function uses the available Text-To-Speech engines on your device. The quality of those heavily depend on the voices your device has (or which you installed additionally)

  • We’re still working on a solution for how to “speak” the Greek and Hebrew words that occur in many places in the Mirror – either in literal or in transliterated form. Currently, their pronunciation may be strange! Please bear with us for now.

There are several ways to support us:

  • Please share with us any testimonies you have about the Mirror impact in your own life as well as in people’s lives you have reached out to.
  • We appreciate your prayers for our team.
  • For financial support, here is our donation link: https://mirrorword.net/donations.

Thank you very much! May you be richly blessed!

That step is necessary for the app to know on which account to store the colors, bookmarks and verse notes. Also, in case you ever change your device, it’s necessary in order to know that you’ve already purchased the app.