Christian Gifts for Him: what to buy, and what it costs

If you know nothing else, buy the NKJV — it keeps the familiar King James phrasing with modern spelling and offends nobody. Choose ESV if he is academic or in a church that teaches from it, NASB if he wants the most literal rendering available in English, and KJV only if you know he prefers it. The translation matters more than the binding, and it is the one thing worth asking someone about.

No, and the difference matters. A crucifix carries the figure of Christ and is primarily Catholic; an empty cross is the usual Protestant choice. Buying the wrong one is a more noticeable mistake than getting the metal or the chain length wrong, so check before you buy.

Stainless for something worn every day — it does not tarnish, survives sweat and swimming, and costs ten dollars to replace. Sterling for something meant to last and to feel like a gift, accepting that it tarnishes and wants occasional polishing. If you are buying one piece and he wears it daily, stainless is the more practical answer even though it is cheaper.

A three-minute devotional, a stainless cross necklace with the verse engraved on the reverse, or a hand-carved olive wood wall cross. All three are on this page under twenty dollars, and all three get used rather than stored.