The Book Press

The official blog for Leonard's Book Restoration Station, Eric Haley, Proprietor. Discussions about bookbinding, antiquarian book restoration, Bible repair, and well, the Bible in general. Take care of your Bible--in between the covers is The Word of God!

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Location: Burrows, IN, United States

Friday, May 16, 2008

Not Bound

I came across an interesting verse in II Timothy, that I'd like to share with you.

"Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the Word of God is not bound." ~II Timothy 2:9

Is this a problem with bookbinding?  Should we go back to scrolls?''  Or maybe we need to take a second look at Bibles.  Are they the Word of God?

Judging from the shape some Bibles are in when they come in to our shop, you wouldn't think people worship their books.  They come in broken, twisted, taped, and miserable.  Nobody could confuse these woebegone articles with the powerful Word of God in the verse, that is not bound.  These Bibles are begging to be rebound, encased in something beautiful that will last a long time -- because their owners use them regularly and are a teeny bit harsh with them.

Then, if it's not the book, that is new today and old tomorrow, what is the Word of God?

Good question! 

The Word of God in the Beginning was the second person of the Godhead, the Son, Who created all things.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
~John 1:1-3

The Word of God Incarnate (in the flesh) is Jesus Christ.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
~John 1:14-17

Jesus said man lives, not just by our natural food, but by the Word of God.  The Word is what we read there in our Bibles, that speaks to our hearts and nourishes us spiritually.

And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
~ Luke 4:4

That is what is unbound, unfettered, unchained--unlike Paul.  You can't hold it back.  They killed Jesus, but not the Word.  He came back.  You can burn a Bible, but you can't stop the Savior from saving.  Even when Paul was in prison, he wrote entire books to add to the New Testament.  Ultimately, the Word of God will reign on the earth.

Are you ready for that?

Blessings!

Margie L. Haley, Administrative Assistant
Leonard's Book Restoration Station
(574) 652-2151
www.leonardsbooks.com

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