by Robert C. Frank
My wife and I read parts of our Bible each morning when we have our devotions. It seems important for all of us to remember that our Bibles didn’t suddenly pop up on our bookshelves. God, through the Holy Spirit, created the Bible over a long period of time with the assistance of many human beings.
While none of the original manuscripts written by the Apostles have been found, there are many copies of those writings that still exist. Their authenticity is affirmed by the fact that they agree so well with each other. Since there were so many writings, large groups of people called councils had to gather to decide which were truly inspired by God. Finally, in 397 AD, a group of these writings that were believed to be authentic were chosen to be included. They were called the canon of the Bible.
However, it wasn’t until about 1450 AD that the first printed Bible was produced by Johannes Gutenberg. In the years since then, many humans, working together and aided by science and technology, developed methods for producing large numbers of Bibles in many languages and forms. Their availability encouraged humans to learn to read. As a result, the Bible has played an important role in the improvement of civilization in the world.
While God, through the Holy Spirit, created the Bible over a long period of time with the assistance of humans, it is important to remember that God is still with us. So as Christians it seems we should be exploring other ways that we can assist God in continuing the creation of civilization on earth.
