HOW MANY BIBLES?

We didn’t have the usual service at Church today, but instead started The Bible Course, produced by The Bible Society, which has its HQ in Swindon.  On their website, it says : “Using a unique storyline, the course shows how the key events, books and characters all fit together. You’ll get to see the BIG picture and discover how the Bible applies to your life.”

We were seated informally at tables and after we had watched a short video, we were served tea, coffee, biscuits and goodies, some of them chocolate - we had quite a lot on our table, so we had two plates and I can tell you, they didn’t last long!

It was raining heavily when we first went into Church and still raining when we came out, so we decided we wouldn’t go out anywhere, but that would come home and I would find all the Bibles we have in the house so that I could take a photograph of them.

Here they all are with a quick explanation:  

At the top of the pile is the manual for The Bible Course - with homework to be done before the next video in a month’s time.  The small red Bible was presented to our oldest son by The Gideons probably in about the early 1980s when he left Junior School and all children were given a New Testament, and underneath that is a Thai New Testament sent to us by our younger son a couple of years ago, which also has a Gideons' logo on it - and it probably came from a hotel room!

The next one down is a King James Bible presented to Mr HCB’s father on the 31st of December 1922, so that is now 96 years old.  The Voice is a more recent translation, having been released in 2012 - this version was given to me by my friend, Susan, for my birthday in 2017.

You will then see a Bible with the spine encased in parcel tape!  This is my New International version, which is well used and written in by me, and which I have had since 1991.  Underneath that is a Good News Bible, given to me on Mother’s Day in 1986 by our two sons Martyn and Julian.  

Then comes The Message, a version by an American, Eugene Peterson, which I really enjoy - but it might not be to everyone’s taste.  I bought this in 2004.  This sits on top of the Contemporary English version bought in 2000 - I remember someone preaching at our Church and using this one, so thought I would “buy it to try it” and again, quite enjoy reading this version.

I have had my own King James version probably since the early 1960s as it has my maiden name inside it and this is on top of the New Living translation, which was bought in 2002.  I have had the Living Bible for quite some time and remember buying this in a charity bookshop, but I can’t remember when - but again it is another “easy reading” Bible. 

I remember buying The Good News Study Bible when I used to teach in Sunday School and this was probably bought in the late 1990s when this version first came out, although there is no date inside.  

I also have a Study Version of the New International Bible, which sits on top of a very old Family Bible which was given to my grandmother in 1933 by her father, but this King James Bible was actually given to Mrs Deane on the 12th of October 1850 according to the inscription inside the Bible, which makes it 168 years old.  It was produced in M.DCCC.XLVI or 1846.  As my grandmother’s father was a General Dealer (actually I think he was a Rag and Bone man), I daresay he picked this up on his “rounds” and then gave it to his daughter, and it has now ended up in my possession.  

So we have in the house a total of fourteen Bibles, but this doesn’t include a new NIV that doesn’t get written in - but which I don’t use that much as I would rather have my old, taped-up version, Mr. HCB’s NIV and several other duplicates of the Good News Bible and of course, numerous study guides and Bibles to be read in one year.  

It was interesting to note from the video that the Bible is the worlds best-selling and most widely distributed book. A survey by the Bible Society concluded that around 2.5 billion copies were printed between 1815 and 1975, but more recent estimates put the number at more than 5 billion - so there must be something in it worth reading - and if you are wondering, yes, we do read at least one version of our Bible, every day.

It was interesting to see that many of these Bibles have little notes inside, and verses written by me and to me, over the years.  If it keeps on raining, I may just sit and read through them. 

Every part of Scripture is God-breathed 
and useful one way or another - 
showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, 
correcting our mistakes, 
training us to live God’s way. 
Through the Word we are put together 
and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
2 Timothy 3 : 16-17 - The Message


P.S.  I almost forgot, I also have the NIV and The Message on my iPhone.