The Greatest Book in the World

The Holy Bible is a priceless gift from God—and it’s a gift He wants us to use. That’s why, even in our image-based modern world, Christians should set reading the Bible as a high priority.

To know and worship the invisible Creator God, we must read His book—the Bible. This amazing book has been a major factor in the spread of literacy. Christianity is founded on this great book, and Christians prize the gift of being able to hear andread the words of God.

Jesus Christ’s ministry included standing up in the synagogue to read the Scriptures (Luke 4:16-22). He often explained and expounded on the Scriptures to His followers.

Christians, from the beginning of the Church, read and were inspired by the historical accounts of God’s intervention with man. Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost was laced with the rich biblical legacy of God’s plan for working with humanity. Stephen was stoned to death after using his knowledge of the Book to lead to his conclusion that the Messiah had arrived.

The Church considered the Bible foundational. As the apostle Paul mentioned to the young man Timothy, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The Bible and you

How about you? Do you read the Bible often? Your faith will only grow if you connect with the timeless worldview offered within its pages. It tells us how to be successful in this life and the next. History, as well as tomorrow’s news, is all there for you to read and to understand.

The prophet Isaiah wrote about the awesome insights to the past and the future that our all-powerful Creator has recorded for us: “Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure’” (Isaiah 46:9-10).

God has recorded and carefully preserved this vital information for you today.

Preserved for you

Notice what some of the experts say about the accuracy of the preservation of the Word of God, the Holy Bible.

“Being written on material that perishes, having to be copied and recopied and recopied for hundreds of years before the invention of the printing press, did not diminish its style, correctness nor existence. The Bible, compared with other ancient writings, has more manuscript evidence than any 10 pieces of classical literature combined” (Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Vol. 1, p. 18).

“Jews preserved it as no other manuscript has ever been preserved. With their masora (parva, magna and finalis) they kept tabs on every letter, syllable, word and paragraph. They had special classes of men within their culture whose sole duty was to preserve and transmit these documents with practically perfect fidelity—scribes, lawyers, massorites. Who ever counted the letters and the syllables and the words of Plato or Aristotle? Cicero or Seneca?” (Bernard Ramm, Protestant Christian Evidences, pp. 230-231).

“With perhaps a dozen or twenty exceptions, the text of every verse in the New Testament may be said to be so far settled by general consent of scholars, that any dispute as to its reading must relate rather to the interpretation of the words than to any doubts respecting the words themselves. But in every one of Shakespeare’s thirty-seven plays there are probably a hundred readings still in dispute, a large portion of which materially affects the meaning of the passages in which they occur” (John Lea, The Greatest Book in the World, p. 15).

Flex your brain

With our image-based world and its increasingly bedazzling graphics, surround-sound and powerful stimulation, book reading might seem pretty dull. But reading flexes the brain and helps develop a deeper connection with our Creator.

We are actually set apart by our connection with this amazing book. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

So, what should we do to strengthen our minds and our relationship with God?

• Read the Bible daily.
• Have a plan to read the whole Bible in a year.
• Learn to mark your Bible to help you remember key verses.
• Engage in discussions about the Bible with other believers.

Watching high-definition TV and listening to bone-jangling sounds are stimulating experiences, but why not take time out to flex your brain in a more meaningful way? Read the Bible. It will not only give you direction, but inspiration and encouragement. It is the playbook for mankind with the most accurate account of who you really are and the purpose for your life.

Read the book!

For some help to get started, see our Frequently Asked Question “What’s the Best Way to Study the Bible?”

Larry Greider is a pastor of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, serving in northern Florida.