Yes, That’s the Book for MeCherokee Chronicle Times Monthly Church Page Contribution

Questions: What was the first book printed on Johannes Gutenberg’s moveable font press in Germany in 1455? What book is the most stolen book in our culture? What book is the most published work in the history of printed language in the world? What book has been translated into the most languages in the world (around 2,883)? Which English Bible translators were burned at the stake for their efforts?

Well, you can probably guess by the nature of the page this column is printed that it is the Bible. It has a fantastic heritage. Here is another interesting fact. Most folks can remember a popular song they learned in Sunday School, and it goes like this: “Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so . . . “ Biblical scholars have wrestled with this idea for decades, and they have come to the conclusion that no, the Bible actually does not literally say that. There are a lot of scriptures that come close, but that is all.

Here are some other notable facts about the Bible: Herr Gutenberg did not earn one pfennig of profit printing the Bible. He died a pauper. It is believed that William Shakespeare might have had something to do with the writing of King James’ script of the Bible. Scholars fluctuate back and forth through the decades about the proof of such an idea. The language of the K.J.V, known as the Elizabethian Language of “thy,” “thou,” “dost,” “hast,” and “forsooth,” was during the time of Shakespeare’s prominent writings, roughly a decade before our country’s colonists began their work in the New World. King James was very fond of Shakespeare’s work, and both the Bible and Shakespeare employed a high degree of metaphorical, sensory, and lyrical language. The language of the K.J.V. used many new expressions also found in Shakespeare’s invented language.

Here are some interesting demographics about the Bible’s readers: women are more likely to read the Bible than men do, and older people read it more than younger people do -- what a shame! And African Americans read it more than other races do. One of my favorite quotes by Samuel Clemons (Mark Twain) is: “It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me; it is the parts that I do understand.” Wouldn’t you know it, but another interesting fact is that China -- of all places -- prints more copies of the English Bible than all combined English publishers.

Initially, the Bible was printed in continuous prose, paragraph form until the Geneva Bible was the first to use chapter and verse numbers in 1576. The Geneva Bible was the one most referenced by Shakespeare and the one carried to the colonies by the Separatists (a.k.a. Pilgrims).

I believe the Bible is inerrant -- without mistakes or inconsistencies. There are numerous irregularities, though, in the many versions we read from in the Good Book. Those that appear to be “errors” are discrepancies in the translations. Whenever there are repetitions in the scriptures, you can bet that it is something God thinks is important. For example, around 24 different scriptures say the same thing as John 3:16; check out John 3:15.

Most people know that the Bible is comprised of two parts, although I have met some folks who do not know that -- the Old Testament and the New Testament. How many of you know what testament means? In Biblical language, testament refers to a covenant, an agreement or promise between God and man. In the O.T, there are five covenants God made: the agreements with Adam, Abraham, Moses, and two with David, the King. In the N.T, there is only one agreement or promise God made with humankind. Guess what it is. You might have figured it is John 3:16, and you would be right!

One of the most impressive realities is this: The shortest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 117, and the longest is Psalm 119. Guess what the middle chapter is in the Book of Psalms. It is Psalm 118, with 594 chapters before it and 594 and after it. That adds up to 1,188. What is the very center verse in the Bible? It is Psalm 118:8, and that cannot be a coincidence. There are no coincidences in the Bible or in our faith, for that matter. Verse 118:8 says, “It is better to trust in the LORD than it is to put confidence in man.” 

What more could I say? Oh, there are a couple more things. Prayer is when we talk to God, and reading the Bible is where God speaks to us -- do not miss out on it. The Bible is like a parachute – it only works when it is open instead of being closed and lying on the corner of the coffee table. And, here is the last point I want to make. You can sing it with me if you like: “The B-I-B-L-E; yes, that’s the book for me . . . .“   A-men.

I hope you choose to attend your church in town this Sunday to understand more of what God wants you to discover in the Bible. Oh, and bring your Bible.