Battered Bibles

In 2nd Timothy 3, Paul exhorts Timothy to remain faithful to the teachings of the Scriptures to which he had adhered. God's Word is totally reliable, and we can have confidence in it to govern our lives. We can read in that chapter:
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Bible tells the amazing story of a loving God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and His great love for humanity, to the extent that even when sin entered into the world, He offered His Son to restore that relationship with Himself.  And, as it's been pointed out, we are part of that amazing story.

Not only do the pages of the Bible contain that story, but some Bibles include personal family stories - the Bible essentially being a book of records and family history.

Such was the case of a man named David Duncan, whose interaction with his mom's Bible was related in a recent CBN.com article, which stated:

"Growing up, my mom, always had her white King James Bible," he told CBN News.

In it, she recorded generations of family births, marriages, and deaths.

"My whole life growing up, that was the Bible that I remembered my mom carrying, and my mom using," David said, "And the Lord took her home, it'll be 17 years this coming December."

But, the Bible was so old that its cover came off, and David found a solution - in a company that actually "rebinds" Bibles. 

Daniel Thrailkill is essentially a Bible repairman - his company is called Logos Rebinding. About him, the article states:

As an artist, Daniel does almost everything by hand, starting with repairing the pages, then removing the outside.

"I actually cut out the Bible," he said, "We call it the Bible 'block'. So the pages itself is called a 'block,' and I cut that out of the old cover."

He reinforces the spine, adds custom ribbons, then fashions the new cover.

The article notes that the only "modern...equipment" he employs are "electrically heated stamp machines to emboss words like, 'Holy Bible' on the cover, or names, scriptures such as 'The Lord Is My Shepherd' and designs like the Alpha and Omega.  He said, "It can definitely be a meaningful thing for the right people..."

CBN reports that "rebinding" of Bibles is "surging in popularity nationwide," and that Daniel "has a long waiting list."

The article notes that there are new ways to engage with God's Word these days, stating:

Meanwhile, more people are also choosing electronic versions of the Bible, like the CBN Bible App. It's a convenient way to always have the word of God right at your fingertips.

Research shows Americans under age 60 report using digital Bibles nearly half of the time.

And while all Bible reading can improve our spiritual health, research shows comprehension is six to eight times better with physical books compared to digital.

Faith Radio actually has a Bible that is part of our app, as well as an audio Bible and a Bible reading plan.  And, we are grateful to be able to offer that free resources.  We desire to be a resource to you in order that you may grow spiritually - so we offer not only our app, but Bible teaching programs, interview content, and uplifting music throughout the week on Faith Radio. 

Because, while I've been sharing about physically battered Bibles today, we also recognize that the Bible is being battered in our culture.  Now, the Word of God is God's truth and is "living and active," containing wisdom and power for us. But, there is rejection of the Scriptures, as well. People have deconstructed from the Christian faith and by so doing, they have set aside the power of the truth of God and His salvation brought through Jesus.  The Bible and the practice of it are under assault. 

But, we, the body of Christ, are people of restoration.  Our faithfulness can reverse the degradation and decay we see around us.  Our faithfulness to follow the teachings of Scripture can greatly influence those who have rejected what God has to say.  Daniel Thrailkill repairs physical Bibles, but the content is still extremely powerful and reliable. The content does not need repair; the Bible itself does not need to be "fixed" or altered to better relate to our society.  The Bible is doing just fine, thank you!  But, in an age when those those teachings may be taking a beating in some segments of culture, we can shore up our own devotion to them.