Sheringham: St Peter

When you hold a Bible in your hands, you are not holding just a book but an entire library, a library that contains 66 books that were written over a span of about 3,500 years, by at least 40 different authors. The Bible is also made up of a wide range of kinds of writings, including history, poetry, songs, law, prophecies, proverbs, eye-witness accounts, letters, dreams and genealogies. Much of it is about people and events that took places many hundreds of years ago and can be confusing, mysterious and even disturbing.

And yet, the Bible is the best-selling book in the world, and has been so for many years, ever since printing technologies were developed in the mid-1400s. A further boost came when Martin Luther first sold his translation of the Bible at the annual book fair in Leipzig, Germany in 1522. All together, different books of the Bible have been translated into 3,324 languages, with complete Bibles now having been translated into 700 languages. It is estimated that between five and seven billion Bibles have been printed since the 1400s, with 80 million more Bibles now being printed every year. What is it that makes the Bible so special?

At its heart, the Bible is about a relationship: the relationship God has with all of creation and especially with humankind. It is also about the relationship people have had with God. Whether expressed in the songs of praise we know as the Psalms, or the copious instructions of how best to live, which the ancient people of Israel codified into what is called the Law, the Bible is about how we relate to ourselves, other people and God. The stories are often tragic because of the weaknesses, flaws and sinfulness of human nature and, most tragically, our wilful desire to rebel against God – over and over again.

The stories also contain the best news ever told to humankind, namely the coming of Jesus, God in human form and what he did for us out of love for us. In fact, the Bible teaches that the foundation of creation and the very nature of God is Love. So, the Bible could really be called a love story, telling of God’s love for us and of our patchy and imperfect love of God.

As good as all that would be, however, the Bible claims to be more than that. Paul writes in his second letter to Timothy that, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) When we read the Bible, we open ourselves to the possibility of encountering God in a new way. Reading the Bible is not a passive activity, or to be done only once, like reading a novel. The Bible is something that we are encouraged to read over and over again, ideally returning to it to read even a small portion every day.

One contemporary reader of the Bible has said that we may read the Bible but the Bible also ‘reads’ us. Reading the Bible can feel like a two-way communication with God, as we are captured by different passages and motivated to greater faith or challenged to change our behaviour or attitudes or given comfort and peace when we feel desolate.

Yet, for all the wonders contained within its pages, the Bible also reminds us that there is only one true Living Word - Jesus the Christ. We are not to worship the Bible, but Christ. We are not to idolise the words, but to love and obey the Word of God. What the Bible can be is a trusted guide as we seek to follow the One who called himself “the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

Rev’d Christina Rees

Sheringham: St Peter

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