The Bible Stands Out… like… a LOT!

January 22, 2025
Bible atop all other literature

This series we’ve been doing on the Bible has not only been challenging–at least for me–but somewhat unexpectedly, it’s been a major eye-opener as well. My study has led me to discover all sorts of new things about the Bible that if I were to summarize it in a single sentence it would be simply: Objectively, the Bible is the most unique book in history.

I know that as Christians, we believe it’s inspired, that God’s Spirit has guided it in a way unique to all other literature or even aspects of creation. We spoke about this a few weeks back, recognizing the mystery of what it means to say the Bible is “God-breathed.” And wherever one lands with this, this conviction alone makes it pretty special… at least for Christians. But let’s say you DIDN’T hold that conviction. Let’s say you just believed the library of books that comprises the Bible was, in fact, merely a human book. The data still insists the Bible is the most unique book in history. Consider this:

    1. The Bible is the most sold book of all time with estimates of between 5 and 7 billion copies sold.
    2. The Bible is the most translated book in the world. The full Bible has been translated into 756 languages and portions of it have been translated into at least 3,700 more.
    3. The Bible is the most quoted and referenced book in history – Biblical phrases and concepts have profoundly influenced literature, art, music, and everyday language for the past 2,000 years.
    4. The Bible is the most studied text in history
    5. The Bible is the largest single influencing piece of literature to shape our world – affecting moral systems, laws, and cultural traditions in almost every corner of the world.

It’s not for lack of suppression efforts either. As far back as ancient Rome, emperors like Diocletian (reigned in 3rd century AD) sought to collect and burn all Christian scriptures in an attempt to eradicate this new fangled religion popping up in his empire. The Church itself later restricted translations of the Bible into vernacular languages. During the French Revolution (1789-1799), Bibles were destroyed en masse as part of a campaign to replace religion with “reason” and there have been numerous totalitarian regimes like the Soviet Union or China and modern day authoritarian states such as North Korea and Saudi Arabia where Bible possession can lead to severe punishment. 

Ironically, oftentimes the effort to destroy or suppress the Bible has led to increased resolve among believers to preserve and reproduce it. Today, an estimated 100 million Bibles are being printed each year. That’s wild considering so many of us read the Bible digitally. How many? Well, the Bible App YouVersion has been downloaded over 800 million times. In other words, this book (or rather, books) persists in both its allure and in its impact on our world and at this point I daresay it might be an impossible task to remove it.

For me, the Bible’s enduring persistence and uniqueness among all printed literature is a profound encouragement because it reflects a persistent and unique God who, I believe, has ensured this ancient, God-breathed library remains accessible to us today. Which leads us, perhaps, to ask why? It’s not merely so we can learn about ancient Israel’s laws or be inspired by the heartfelt psalms, though those are valuable. Nor is it just to marvel at 1st-century Palestine or how the church began. The reason these words have endured isn’t about historical fascination or moral teachings—it’s because, I believe, they all point to the Word Himself. In a world that often feels chaotic and unstable, with so many long-held certainties unraveling before our eyes, the Bible’s survival offers something deeper: an assurance that the Word of God himself will not be erased or extinguished. Ultimately, the Bible’s uniqueness and persistence serve as a bold reminder of a Savior who remains steadfast, offering hope and stability in the midst of any storm or chaos this world throws at us. Amen.

1 Comment

  1. Emily

    🫶

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *