| Author | Message | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 4022 Registered: 3-2004  |
EGW said we should not put other books on top of the Bible. I find myself putting things on top of the Bible occasionally and then thinking, oops, I shouldn't do that. What is the general opinion in Christianity about how we should treat the Bible? Diana | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 1170 Registered: 4-2000  |
Diana, Good question! My desk gets quite overflowing (messy) with papers, books, letters, emails, schedules, bills, etc. most every day. However, I treasure the Bible enough to give it a special place on my desk for quick reference--with nothing on top of it. I never have to tunnel through papers to find it nor wonder where it is. After all, it is the most important book in my life. It deserves a special, uncluttered place on my desk, not only in my heart. Actually, I have more than 30 different Bibles in my library. I keep them all neatly together on a bookshelf. Dennis Fischer (Message edited by Dennis on July 21, 2007) | ||
| Bigal Registered user Username: Bigal Post Number: 74 Registered: 9-2006  |
Interesting Diana that I also have this phobia. I can place other "religious" books and our "communicator" (a type of bulletin) on my Bible, but I get uncomfortable when I place my remote for the TV on the bible! I agree Dennis. The Bible does deserve a special place. Alan | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 689 Registered: 6-2006  |
I'm the same way, and I've never been told "Thou shalt NOT set anything on toppeth of thy Bible."  I believe that many people feel that way. I even get a little anxious when the Bible on my nightstand gets dusty. Although, I've got plenty of Bibles that I've scribbled in and marked up! Two of them have either loose pages or pages that have fallen out. Leigh Anne | ||
| Larry Registered user Username: Larry Post Number: 33 Registered: 5-2007 |
I understand Diana's sentiments and I also appreciate Dennis' comments. I can find nothing wrong with Dennis' reasoning. I was also taught that like Diana's model. But when I catch myself putting something on top of the Bible now, I remind myself that this is a faith thing, and I am not saved or lost on what I put on top of the Bible. By faith I leave things on top. Isn't that how Abraham might have done it? | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 1114 Registered: 9-2006  |
I confess to always having a phobia like that and I,v never been Adventist nor taught not to lay anything on the Bible that I can remember. I had my great grandmothers old Bible and I had to wrap it in seran wrap to keep it from falling all over the place, much of it had disintegrated, I finally just took it and threw it in the garbage can although I felt bad about doing so. Like Larry I have begun to work on that in the last few months, while it lays there its a book, it is not until we allow it to become living in our hearts that it becomes something else. However I still have the phobia, just not as bad. But the Bible is my most precious commodity so maybe it isn't all that bad. I have fessed up. River | ||
| Jim02 Registered user Username: Jim02 Post Number: 164 Registered: 5-2007 |
I think it is proper to have a healthy respect for the Bible. But I don't think it is an added mandate to fear handling it. Such as notes, underlines or other study aids in marking pages till they wear out. A wore out Bible is a "used" Bible. We should respect it. I cringe when I see people toss it about. Even placing it on the floor. On my desk, I have a hutch shelf above my desk. My Bible stays there, on top, by itself, on the right side. | ||
| Doug222 Registered user Username: Doug222 Post Number: 593 Registered: 3-2001 |
A few weeks ago, the Pastor at my church was preaching about standing on the Word of God, versus leaning to our own understanding. To make his point, he dropped his Bible on the floor, along with another book I think, I don't remember). You could hear the collective gasp from all the recovering legalists as he proceeded to stand on both of them. His point was that we tend to "stand on the Word of God," but hedge our bet by also leaning to our own understanding--just in case God doesn't come through. God wants us to put our full weight on the Word of God (He then proceeded to place both feet on the Bible), without any fail safe plan. He acknowledged that what he was dong probably made some people uncomfortable, but to remember that these were words on a page, but that the Word of God is living and breathing, and cannot be confined to parchment. It was a POWERFUL illustration, and one that would not have driven its point home as pointedly without his illustration. While I tihnk we should honor God's Wrod, we must be careful not to drift into idolatry--not that I am accusing anyone here of that. Doug | ||
| Martinc Registered user Username: Martinc Post Number: 6 Registered: 9-2006 |
Great story, Doug222! It reminds me of how powerful God's word is, and how information is independent of its physical medium. George Gilder of the Discovery Institute has written much about this. You can scratch John 1:1 in the dirt with an old stick and it can still have the same effect. | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 65 Registered: 7-2007 |
That would make me gasp! The person who (with the Lord's help) brought me out of the SDA church had been (about 30 years ago) a Catholic. At that time, the Catholic church taught that only the priests should read it, so all she did was put it on a special book stand and surround it with candles - or rather her parents did that, since she was just a kid at the time. Dianne | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 6369 Registered: 12-2003  |
Doug, powerful illustration. I can imagine that collective gasp! What a great point, though. Colleen |
