I talked with some good friends the other day who, in visiting a church recently, noticed something very different than what they experience at their home church--that the people and pastor did not carry a Bible. This seems to be a growing trend in today's church, and it is in my estimation disrespectful, if not borderline heretical. Here are a few reasons why:(1) The Bible is available as a result of the sacrifice of men.
The Bible has not always been immediately available to us. Even the Catholic church has historically withheld the Bible from its congregants. In order that the Bible might be more accessible, many individuals risked and even gave their lives through persecution in order that it might be more accessible for future generations. William Tyndale, for example, saw his work confiscated and burned by English ecclesiastical authorities; he was burned at the stake in 1536.
(2) The Bible is available as a result of God's sovereign revelation.
The Bible is one of the clearest revelations that God has given to man. It is a key way that we know the specific love that God has for us and the sacrifice that He made in giving His Son. God wanted this revelation to be available to creation, and He therefore sovereignly orchestrated its formation, and protected it throughout the generations.
(3) The Bible is not immediately available to all as a result of persecution.
Randy Alcorn has contrived a list of 17 countries that persecute Christians, and therefore, either do not allow, or frown upon the possession of a Bible. This means that while I sit here with 25+ Bibles on my shelf, there are some individuals and churches that don't own a single Bible.
In light of these three facts, there are, in the least, two tenets that I firmly believe every church should endorse:
(1) A Pastor should preach with a Bible in his hand.
It may be considered convenient or cool to preach without the "hindrance" of a pulpit, notes, or a Bible, but when a Pastor preaches without having the authority of God's Word before Him, it speaks to the authority of man, not of God. The visible Bible before the pastor is a great way to communicate where the authority of the message is coming from.
(2) A Christian should carry a Bible to church.
When a Christian who has the freedom to both own and carry a Bible fails to do so, it is in the very least insulting to God, to the martyrs of old, and to those who do not have the privilege. It also forbids you to fully comprehend the message that the pastor is giving because you do not have the liberty to read and meditate on the verses.
In a world where it is considered a convenience to not have a Bible, may we set a precedent and stand firm in our conviction that the Bible truly is the Word of God, and may we express this by carrying it with us as we worship our God together.
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