Dec
30
2014
The Written Word
Posted in Bible 4 Comments
Much like a fingerprint, everyone has unique handwriting.
Even identical twins write differently.
The shape of letters, the spacing, the slope, the size, and the pressure to the paper vary.
Verification of the writer of a document can be done through the handwriting.
Our handwriting does not change much over the course of a lifetime.
Yet our handwriting can deteriorate over time because of illness or age.
Our personality often comes through our handwriting.
Both our printing and our cursive writing is unique.
I received a unique gift from my youngest son this Christmas.
He handed me the heavy box and told me to open it a certain way.
The package was large and quite heavy as it was placed in my lap.
After ripping off the wrapping paper, I saw that it was a large Bible.
It was not just any Bible.
It was an entirely handwritten Bible.
From Genesis to Revelation, every verse, every chapter, is written by hand.
Reminding me of the original manuscripts, I held a precious gift in my hand.
Of course, tears welled up in my eyes as I thought of the magnitude of this project.
How did you ever find this? I asked.
I had never seen anything like it before.
I kept thinking of something Jesus said to His disciples.
I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, nor the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (Matthew 5:18)
Not the least jot or tittle.
Nothing in God’s Word will ever disappear.
From the first writer to the last, the entire Bible is God-breathed by the Author.
Every word is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and is without error.
The year 2008 marked the 30th anniversary of the first publication of the NIV translation.
Zondervan and the International Bible Society wanted to celebrate in a big way.
They decided to go back to the Bible’s origins and celebrate the written text.
Zondervan launched a Bible Across America tour.
A select team of people drove a 42-foot motor home across the country for six months.
They traveled over 22,000 miles.
They made 104 tour stops in 90 cities in 40 states.
They invited people to write one handwritten verse that would be included in the Bible.
More than 31,000 different people contributed a handwritten verse.
Each verse looks as unique as the person who wrote it.
There are some imperfections, some crossed out words, and some misspellings.
Yet, in the end, the finished work is the Bible in its entirety, written totally by hand.
It is an awesome responsibility to hand-write the Bible.
The scribes took the time to painstakingly copy the original written manuscripts.
Many early manuscripts were written on animal skins.
Each copy, printed by hand, was precious and rare.
Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, asks for his scrolls and his parchments.
Paul often used a Grammateus, similar to a secretary, to physically write his letters.
It is believed that Paul may have had problems with his eyes and needed that help.
Paul would dictate his letters to a Grammateus who would then write it down.
One such person was named Tertius.
I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord. (Romans 16:22)
This gift of the handwritten Bible is very precious to me.
I see the Body of Christ in every distinct sample of writing.
I see fallible individuals coming together by the grace of God.
I see unique individuals leaving a part of themselves on every page.
I see the Word of God that is meant for everyone.
No matter their age, or race, or socioeconomic status, they were all the same.
They all took a pen and wrote one precious verse from the Word of God.
All equal in the eyes of God, all dearly loved, all made in His image.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation in Jesus Christ. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17)
God-breathed.
That same breath of God that is breathed into each person was breathed into His Word.
The wind of the Spirit.
The inerrant Word of God.
Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth. (John 17:17)
The Word of the Lord stands forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
And God said…(Genesis 1:3)
Let the Word of God dwell in you richly…(Colossians 3:16)
I held a precious gift in my lap.
We all hold a precious gift when we hold the Word of God in our hands.
What a fabulous gift. You must have been so surprised.
Oh, Liz, It truly was! It is something to treasure. I have never seen anything like it!
Regina
What a special gift! And a wonderful idea for the group who took this project on the road, making so many people a part of the living Word. Praise God!
Sue, it really is a treasure. We all hold that same treasure when we hold God’s Word in our hands.
Gina