Nelly Favis Villafuerte     (Last Part) The Bible has been banned and burned, but today more and more people are reading and studying it. The indestructibility of the Bible despite political persecutions adds to its uniqueness. History records that in AD 303, Emperor of Rome Diocletian attempted to “obliterate” the Bible. After years of vengeful destruction, Emperor Diocletian built a column of victory over the ashes of a burned Bible with the following words marked on the column: “Extinct is the name of Christian.” Twenty years later, Emperor Constantine, the new ruler, offered rewards for any available remaining Bibles. Within 24 hours, 50 copies were given to Emperor Constantine. * * * The Bible is the only book that speaks of the unknown with the same authority as the known. Unlike other books, the Bible predicts the future with accuracy. There are 3,856 verses directly or indirectly related with prophecy in scriptures – about one in every six verses predict future events. The fall of Babylon, the invasion of Jerusalem, and the destruction of Nineveh – each were correctly predicted and fulfilled to the smallest detail. * * * Prophecy simply means history written in advance. Some of the prophecies fulfilled during Christ’s earthly ministries are: He would be born in Bethlehem. He would be visited by the Magi and presented with gifts. He would be called a Nazarene. He would make a victorious entry into Jerusalem. He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver and this money would be used to buy a potter’s field. He would be crucified between two thieves. He would be given vinegar to drink; His garments would be torn and gambled for. His bones would not be broken. He would be raised from the dead. He would ascend to Heaven. * * * Not known to many, the Bible has inspired more music than all other books in the world combined. Johann Sebastian Bach’s compositions were mostly church-centered music. Bach was a devout Lutheran. The famous “Requiem” was composed by Brahms. “Mount of Olives” and “Samson and Delilah” were composed by Beethoven.; “St. Paul” and “Elijah” by Mendelssohn. * * * Many of the principles of modern science were recorded as facts of nature in the Bible centuries before they became part of man’s knowledge. For example, at the time the Bible was written, people thought the earth was flat. However, centuries earlier (about 7 centuries BC), the prophet Isaiah wrote: “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth.” (Isa. 40:22) Science and the Scriptures have the same author, so no statement in the Scriptures is scientifically incorrect. The God of the Bible is the God who created the universe. * * * The Bible has a bigger circulation and is read by more people than any other book. Bible societies alone (excluding publishing companies and other Christian organizations) printed 76,953,369 copies in 1965, and 218,429,595 copies in 1972. Thirty years ago, the British Foreign Bible society printed a copy of the Bible every three seconds day and night; 22 copies every minute day and night; 1,369 copies every hour day and night; and 32,876 copies every day in a year and shipped the bibles to various parts of the world in 4,583 cases weighing 490 tons! * * * Our own Philippine Bible Society (PBS) at 890 UN Avenue, Manila, organized in 1898 initially as a branch of the American Bible Society, has been distributing Bibles since 1898. In 1975, a total of 97,855 Bibles were distributed to churches, other organization, and individuals as well. In 1985, 1,944,365 Bibles were distributed – almost 20 times what was distributed in 1975. * * * What do people from various fields of life say about the Bible? George Washington: “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without the Bible.” King George V: “The English Bible is . . .the most valuable thing that this world affords.” Douglas MacArthur: “Believe me sir, never a night goes by, be I ever so tired, but I read the Word of God before I go to bed.” Daniel Webster: ‘I believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the will and the Word of God.” * * * Many people have the negative impression that they cannot understand the Holy Bible and that this Sacred Writing was written only for theologians, priests, or ministers. This is not true. The Holy Bible was written for people like you and me. Test it! You will find out that there is far more in the Scriptures that you can understand than what you cannot. This should not be a cause for concern as Mark Twain once said, “It’s not the things I don’t understand in the Bible that bothers me; it’s the things I do understand!” This candid insight probably exposes the true reason why many people are hesitant – or, to use a stronger word, afraid to read and study the Scriptures. * * * Nowadays, everything is changing. People change their ideas, beliefs, opinions, and experiences. Only Jesus does not change. In Matt. 24:35, Jesus said: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my Words will never pass away.” Jesus also said, “Whosoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water flow from within him.” (John 7:38). In another chapter of the Book of John, Jesus said: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” (John 14:1) As Michael Furaday, a scientist, once said, “Why will people go astray when they have this Blessed Book to guide them?” * * * This column continues to give out copies of the Holy Bible for free to those who cannot afford to buy their own copies. If interested, please send your letter-request to Ms. Nelly Favis Villafuerte, 5233 Fahrenheit St., Palanan, Makati City. Kindly mention if it is the Tagalog, English, Cebuano, or Ilocano Bible that is preferred. Be joyful and forgiving! (Comments may be sent to Ms. Villafuerte’s email: [email protected].)