I loved looking at the picture of Jesus on the cover, surrounded by young children just like me. Of course, my little Bible was King James Version; after all, I attended a Missionary Baptist church. No Revised Standard Version for us … no, sir!
Which reminds me: A pastor once tried to introduce a revised version of the Bible to his rigidly conservative congregation. ‘So what’s wrong with the King James Version?’ one woman with furrowed eyebrows asked. ‘In my opinion, if it was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for us!’ Of course, the amusing irony is that Jesus obviously did not speak in the Old English of the King James Version—Jesus didn’t speak English at all!
Because I was brought up on the Word of God, hearing, learning and even memorizing portions of it, I never had trouble believing that the Bible contained the very words of God. In college and seminary, as I took theology classes, surveys of the Old and New Testaments, they only served to shore up my belief in the value and truth of the precious Book I had. And now, all these many years later, seeing its impact on folks, near and far, is nothing short of amazing. You see, the truths of Scripture reach across cultures, socioeconomic stratum, education, varying ages, and even to those with greater or lesser working knowledge of its content. The Bible is relevant to all. Period.
And yet, as we move further into the 21st century, it becomes increasingly clear that fewer and fewer parents are teaching their children the truths of the Bible—nor are they taking them to where they might learn of God—his ways, and his great love for them. Working with so many high school students in the last number of years, I have looked into their searching faces—evidenced only when they let their teen-age guard down--wondering about the meaning of life, wanting ultimate truth, asking how they came to be, and truly wondering ‘is this all there is?’ Our youth hunger for God. God reveals himself in the pages of Scripture, Friends.
English poet and literary critic, Samuel Coleridge, said, “I have found in the Bible words for my inmost thoughts, songs for my joy, utterance for my hidden griefs and pleadings for my shame and feebleness.”
I know that many folk have taken to accessing Scripture through various forms of technology—as do I for ease of speed in looking at a passage, or its parallel translation—but, my dear ones, I pray you avail yourself of the written word of God, recorded on tangible pages filled with black print.
On Sunday morning, I sat next to a hurting, repentant man who has just returned himself to God, hungry to see and feel him again in his life. He held his Bible in his lap, and with pen in hand, looked up every passage referenced by our pastor, sometimes underlining, and then again, making a note in the margin. It fed my soul, in ways I am unable to describe, and probably as much as the words from my beloved pastor. It revealed his honest heart without his ever uttering a word.
I have my mama’s last Bible—a Scofield King James reference Bible—the one true Bible, according to her. I treasure it, as it has her underlinings and notes. I keep it in my bedside table, as near as possible.
David said, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.1 Truly. And, why? The writer of Hebrews explained, For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Beyond that, can we establish the veracity of Scripture? I believe so. Stay tuned.