BIBLE—APPLICATION OF THE
One day a young Christian came into a mission station in Korea to visit the pastor who had been instrumental in his conversion. After the customary greetings, the missionary asked the reason for his coming. “I have been memorizing some verses in the Bible,” he said, “and I want to quote them to you.” He had walked hundreds of miles just to recite some Scripture verses to his father in the faith. The pastor listened as he repeated without error the entire Sermon on the Mount. He commended the young man for his remarkable feat of memory, then cautioned that he must not only “say” the Scriptures but also practice them. With glowing face, the man responded, “Oh, that is the way I learned them. I tried to memorize them but they wouldn’t stick, so I hit on this plan. First, I would learn a verse. Then I’d talk to a neighbor who was not a Christian and practice it on him. After doing this, I found I could remember it.”
Is there a …
S- Sin to avoid?
A- Action to do?
F- Faith to exercise?
E- Example to follow?
P- Promise to claim?
A- Attitude to change?
C- Challenge to meet?
K- Key to victory in my life today?
—Mark Littleton
Gypsy Smith told of a man who said he had received no inspiration from the Bible although he had “gone through it several times.” “Let it go through you once,” replied Smith, “then you will tell a different story!”
BIBLE—DIFFICULTIES IN THE
Most people are bothered by those passages in Scripture which they cannot understand, but as for me, I always noticed that the passages in Scripture which trouble me most are those which I do understand.
—Mark Twain
It is far better to practice the things that are revealed than to speculate or argue over the truths that have been concealed.
A theological student came to Charles Spurgeon one day, greatly concerned that he could not grasp the meaning of certain verses in the Bible. The noted preacher replied kindly but firmly, “Young man, allow me to give you this word of advice. Give the Lord credit for knowing things you don’t understand.”
BIBLE—IGNORANCE OF THE
A group of American Jewish tourists were visiting the vicinity of Jerusalem. The guide pointed out to them the spot where the prophet Samuel was buried. One of the tourists remembered that in the Bible there are two books of Samuel, and in order to show off his biblical knowledge, he inquired of the guide: “Which Samuel rests here, the first or the second?”
The new pastor of a rural church in eastern Kentucky dropped into a Sunday school class and began quizzing the students to test the effectiveness of the teacher.
“Who knocked down the walls of Jericho?” he demanded of one boy.
“It sure weren’t me, Reverend,” the boy said.
Turning to the embarrassed teacher, the pastor said, “I suppose that’s a sample of the kind of discipline you maintain!”
“Now, Reverend. Timmy’s a good boy and don’t tell lies. If he said he didn’t do it, I believe him.”
Thoroughly upset, the pastor took the matter to the board of deacons. After due consideration the board sent the following message to the nonplussed minister: “We see no point in making an issue of this incident. The board will pay for the damages to the wall and charge it off to vandalism.”
According to the Barna Research group, almost two of every five adults (38 percent) believe that the entire Bible was written several decades after Jesus’ death. (The entire Old Testament, of course, was written hundreds of years before His birth.)
Amazingly, 10 percent of adults believe that the name of Noah’s wife was Joan of Arc.
Forty-nine percent agree that “the Bible teaches that money is the root of all evil.” (The Bible teaches the love of money is the root of all evil.)
Other recent surveys by Barna have revealed that people do not know even half of the Ten Commandments, do not know who preached the Sermon on the Mount, do not know that the story of Jonah and the fish is from the Bible, and believe that the expression “God helps those who help themselves” is a direct quote from the Bible. (It was actually penned by Benjamin Franklin in the late 1700s.)
BIBLE—INSPIRATION OF THE
What I say is perspired, what God says is inspired.
—Walter C. Kaiser Jr.
The present translator who has closely studied these letters for several years is struck by two things. First, their surprising vitality.… he is continually struck by the living quality of the material on which he is working. Some will, no doubt, consider it merely superstitious reverence for “Holy Writ,” yet again and again the writer felt rather like an electrician rewiring an ancient house without being able to “turn the mains off.” He feels that this fact is worth recording. Secondly, he is struck by the extraordinary unanimity of the letters. The cynic may suggest that these men were all in a conspiracy together (though it is difficult to see what motive they could have for such a thing), yet the fact remains that in their different ways and from their different angles they are all talking about the same thing, and talking with such certainty as to bring a wondering envy into the modern heart.
—J. B. Phillips
BIBLE—MISUSE OF THE
When a clerk started working at a store, the owner said, “We must have a Scripture verse to back up everything we do.” “Fine.”
A lady came in and wanted some material. He got out some and showed it to her. She said, “How much a yard?” “$2.50.”
“That’s about it. But I want something more exquisite, a little more costly.”
So he went to the back of the store, fidgeted around a little bit, then came out with the same material. She said, “Oh, that’s it. How much is it a yard?” “$5.00.”
She said, “I’ll take it.”
The owner had been watching and asked, “Do you have a verse to back up your deal?”
“Oh, yes. ‘She was a stranger, and I took her in.’ ”
BIBLE—PERMANENCE OF THE
Century follows century—there it stands.
Empires rise and fall and are forgotten—there it stands.
Dynasty succeeds dynasty—there it stands.
Kings are crowned and uncrowned—there it stands.
Despised and torn to pieces—there it stands.
Storms of hate swirl about it—there it stands.
Atheists rail against it—there it stands.
Profane, prayerless punsters caricature it—there it stands.
Unbelief abandons it—there it stands.
Thunderbolts of wrath smite it—there it stands.
The flames are kindled about it—there it stands.
Suppose there was a man who had lived on the earth for 1,900 years, that this man had often been thrown into the sea and yet could not be drowned; that he had frequently been cast before wild beasts who were unable to devour him; that he had many times been made to drink deadly poisons which never did him any harm; that he had often been bound with iron chains and locked in prison dungeons, yet he had always been able to throw off the chains and escape from his captivity; that he had repeatedly been hanged until his enemies thought him dead, yet when his body was cut down he sprang to his feet and walked away as though nothing had happened; that hundreds of times he had been burned at the stake until there seemed to be nothing left of him, yet as soon as the fires were out he leaped up from the ashes as well and vigorous as ever—but we need not expand this idea any further; such a man would be superhuman, a miracle of miracles. Yet this is the story of the Bible. And all because God declared that His Word should abide forever.
BIBLE—POWER OF THE
The Anvil of God’s Word
Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith’s door
And heard the anvil ring the evening chime;
Then looking in, I saw upon the floor
Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.
“How many anvils have you had,” said I,
“To wear and batter all these hammers so?”
“Just one,” he answered with a twinkling eye,
“The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.”
And so, thought I, the Anvil of God’s Word,
For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of infidels was heard,
The Anvil is unworn—the hammers gone!
—John Clifford
BIBLE READING
A mother was trying to get her eight-year-old daughter to learn her Sunday school lesson. At length she took her Bible from the bureau and said, “Come, Mary, I will help you learn your lesson and then you may go back to your play.”
“All right, Mother, but let’s study it out of Grandfather’s Bible. It is much more interesting than yours.”
“Oh, no, Mary! They are exactly alike.”
“Well, I think Grandfather’s must be more interesting than yours; he reads it so much more.”
I supposed I knew my Bible, reading piecemeal, hit or miss,
Now a bit of John or Matthew, now a snatch of Genesis,
Certain chapters of Isaiah, certain Psalms (the twenty-third!)
Twelfth of Romans, first of Proverbs—yes I thought I knew the Word!
But I found that thorough reading was a different thing to do,
And the way was unfamiliar when I read the Bible through.
Oh, the massive mighty volume! Oh, the treasures manifold!
Oh, the beauty and the wisdom and the grace it proved to hold!
As the story of the Hebrews swept in majesty along,
As it leaped in waves prophetic; as it burst to sacred song.
As it gleamed with Christly omens, the Old Testament was new,
Strong with cumulative power when I read the Bible through.
Oh, imperial Jeremiah, with his keen and sparkling mind!
And the dear old Nehemiah, and Ezekiel refined!
Newly comes the Minor Prophets, each with his distinctive robe;
Newly came the song idyllic, and the tragedy of Job;
Deuteronomy, the regal, to a towering mountain grew
With its comrade peaks around it when I read the Bible through.
What a radiant procession as the pages rise and fall!
James the sturdy, John the tender—oh, the myriad-minded Paul!
Vast apocalyptic glories wheel and thunder, flash and flame,
While the Church triumphant raises one Incomparable Name.
Ah, the story of the Savior never glows supremely true
Till you read it whole and swiftly, till you read the Bible through.
You who like to play at Bible, dip and dabble, here and there,
Just before you kneel aweary, and yawn through a hurried prayer,
You who treat the Crown of Writings as you treat no other book—
Just a paragraph disjointed, just a crude, impatient look—
Try a worthier procedure, try a broad and steady view;
You will kneel in very rapture, when you read the Bible through!
Who Should Read the Bible?
The young—to learn how to live
The old—to know how to die
The ignorant—for wisdom
The learned—for humility
The rich—for compassion
The poor—for comfort
The dreamer—for enchantment
The practical—for counsel
The weak—for strength
The strong—for direction
The haughty—for warning
The humble—for exaltation
The troubled—for peace
The weary—for rest
The sinner—for salvation
The doubting—for assurance
All Christians—for guidance
—Faith Baptist Church, Kokomo, Indiana
If all the Christians were to dust their Bibles at the same time, we would have the greatest dust storm in our history.
—J. H. Smith
The Bible should be bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions of need.
Seventy-two percent of the people believe the Bible to be the Word of God, but only 12 percent read it on a daily basis. Eighteen percent of Protestants are daily Bible readers, 4 percent of Catholics. Forty-one percent of Protestants read the Bible less than once a month or never, 67 percent of Roman Catholics are nonreaders.
—Pulpit Helps
Read the Scripture, not as an attorney may read a will, merely to know the sense, but as the heir reads it, as a description and proof of his interest.
—John Newton
It takes seventy hours and forty minutes to read the Bible at pulpit rate.
It takes fifty-two hours and twenty minutes to read the Old Testament.
It takes eighteen hours and twenty minutes to read the New Testament.
In the Old Testament the Psalms take the longest to read: four hours and twenty-eight minutes.
In the New Testament the gospel of Luke takes two hours and forty-three minutes.
That is less than twelve minutes a day to read it through in a year.
BIBLE STUDY
Dr. Eric Frykenberg, veteran missionary who spent half a century in India, could regale friends with incidents of his life in the field. One day someone asked, “Dr. Frykenberg, what was the most difficult problem you ever faced?” Without hesitation he answered, “It was when my heart would grow cold before God. When that happened, I knew I was too busy. I also knew it was time to get away. So I would take my Bible and go off into the hills alone. I’d open my Bible to Matthew 27, the story of the Crucifixion, and I would wrap my arms around the Cross. And then I’d be ready to go back to work.”
—Leslie B. Flynn
Lord Bacon tells of a bishop who used to bathe regularly twice every day. On being asked why he washed so often, he replied, “Because I cannot conveniently do it three times.” If those who love the Scriptures were asked why they read the Bible so often, they might honestly reply, “Because we cannot find time to read it more often.” The appetite for the Word grows on that which it feeds on. We would say with Thomas á Kempis, “I would be always in a nook with a book.”
—Charles H. Spurgeon
G. Campbell Morgan’s son testifies that his father arose early each working day and spent several hours with his Bible, having only a light breakfast of tea and toast. After fifty-five years of intensive Bible study Morgan said, “I have only touched the fringes of the Bible.”
The hardest part of a missionary career is to maintain regular, prayerful Bible study. Satan will always find you something to do, when you ought to be occupied about that—if it is only arranging a window blind!
—J. Hudson Taylor
I never saw a useful Christian who was not a student of the Bible.
—D. L. Moody
John DeVries, director of international ministries for the World Home Bible League, devised a six-point plan for getting something out of almost any passage of Scripture. It can make your Bible-reading time an opportunity to enjoy God and His message and not be overwhelmed with principles of interpretation. Read a passage of Scripture and then ask yourself these questions:
What did you like?
What did you not like?
What did you not understand?
What did you learn about God?
What should you do?
What phrase can you take with you today?
Much of our Bible study and reading is like the boy in Alabama who was reading aloud in school. The teacher then asked him to tell what he was reading. He answered, “I don’t know. I wasn’t listening.”
Read the Bible not as a newspaper, but as a letter from home. If a promise lies on the page as a blank check, cash it. If a prayer is recorded, appropriate it and launch it as a feathered arrow from the bow of your desire. If an example of holiness gleams before you, ask God to do as much for you.
—F. B. Meyer
A little boy was sitting on a curb reading the New Testament when a priest came by and asked him what he was reading.
“It’s the New Testament,” he said.
“But that’s not for a little ignorant boy like you to be reading,” the priest said.
“Oh, but I have a search warrant to read it,” the boy replied.
“A search warrant! What do you mean?”
“It says here, ‘Search the Scriptures,’ and I’m doing what I’m told.”
Study it to be wise;
Believe it to be safe;
Practice it to be holy.
Study it through, pray it in, work it out, note it down, pass it on.
—J. Wilbur Chapman
Spurgeon said he once saw a Bible through which a worm had bored its way, beginning at Genesis and ending with Revelation; and from that hour his desire was to be a Bible bookworm, eating through the Word, believing and digesting it all.
A Bible stored in the mind is worth a dozen stored in the bottom of one’s trunk.
There are only two ways to study the Bible: studying it with your mind made up or studying it to let it make up your mind.
BIBLE—TREASURES IN THE
Vido Nati, a student in Barcelona, Spain, was working on a thesis for his doctor’s degree. In the course of his research he scoured the university library for the writings of Hierro, an obscure philosopher of the eighteenth century whose writings had been generally neglected. After a lengthy search he unearthed a dusty volume by that author. As he leafed through it he came across a document written by Hierro in 1741. It turned out to be his will, and it bequeathed all his earthly goods to the first man who would study his book that he must have realized would be neglected by unappreciative successors.
The Spanish court declared the will legal, and Vido Nati collected nearly a quarter of a million dollars from Hierro’s estate!
It is said of some of the mines of Cornwall that the deeper they are sunk, the richer they prove; and though some lodes have been followed a thousand and even fifteen hundred feet, they have not come to an end. Such is the Book of God. It is a mine of wealth which can never be exhausted. The deeper we sink into it, the richer it becomes.
BIBLE—VALUE OF THE
A man who loved old books met an acquaintance who had just thrown away a Bible that had been stored in the attic of his ancestral home for generations. “I couldn’t read it,” the friend explained. “Somebody named Guten-something had printed it.” “Not Gutenberg!” the book lover exclaimed in horror. “That Bible was one of the very first books ever printed. Why, a copy just sold for two million dollars!”
His friend was unimpressed. “Mine wouldn’t have brought a dollar. Some fellow named Martin Luther scribbled all over it in German.”
BIBLICAL CRITICISM
Scoffing at the Bible, the virgin birth of Christ, the inspiration of the Bible, the doctrine of salvation through faith in Christ, etc., is like shooting beans in a beanshooter at the Rock of Gibraltar.