Have you heard the saying about something not being worth the paper it’s printed on? In other words, it has little to no value. A news story I read made me wonder, “In your mind, is the Bible worth the paper it’s printed on?”
The image shows a blank book.
That book, with nothing in it other than empty pages, does have a value. Probably not all that much. But it is worth something. For instance, it could be used for taking notes. Or writing.
Now, let’s say the words of the Bible are printed on those pages. They are in a language you can read, so it has potential value to you.
But, what value would you assign to the book? For instance, is it worth more to you empty, so you can use it for your own purposses? Or is it worth more to you because of the words printed on those pages?
In that sense, it’s a very real question of “Is the Bible worth the paper it’s printed on”?
I must add here, mostly because it’s the kind of thing I think of, I rarely use a paper Bible. As you can imagine, if you’ve read the footnotes from many of my sources, my research library is almost entirely digital. That includes a couple dozen Bible translations, plus so many additional ones on biblehub.com or biblegateway.com.
On a more serious note, I want to explain why this one doesn’t use the normal “we”, “us”, and other plural pronouns that I usually try hard to remember to use. When I write about Christians, whether it be good, bad, or indifferent, I try to include all of us. That means me too. But in this case, it really is about what you, the reader, think. I think the Bible is more than worth the paper it’s printed on. It’s more than worth the cost of the digital media it on/in. But you may or may not agree. So it must be – you.
Why ask, Is the Bible worth the paper it’s printed on?
So what led me to ask if the Bible’s worth the paper it’s printed on?
As mentioned it was a news story. Here’s the headline:
“Not worth the paper it’s printed on”: Texas Republicans ignore ruling against Abbott’s “Death Star”
Why that story? Well, it’s because of the topic, the fact that it’s Texas Republicans, who tend to be/claim to be conservative Christians, and the fact that they are ignoring a ruling on the law that came down from a higher court.
We aren’t going to get any further into the story than that. At least, not today. Although, there is plenty to write about, so maybe another day.
What happened in Texas?
Here’s what prompted the headline:
A Texas judge ruled on Wednesday that a law dubbed by critics as the “Death Star” and championed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is unconstitutional.
Obviously, they weren’t happy about that. So:
The law’s author, meanwhile, Republican Rep. Dustin Burrows, criticized the ruling on social media, asserting that it’s “not worth the paper it’s printed on.”
“The Texas Supreme Court will ultimately rule this law to be completely valid,” Burrows asserted on X. “The ruling today has no legal effect or precedent, and should deter no Texan from availing themselves of their rights when HB2127 becomes law on September 1, 2023”
They’re going to ignore it.
Wow.
What does the Texas decision have to do with the Bible?
Maybe you already made the connection. The reason this story prompted me to ask the title question – Is the Bible worth the paper it’s printed on? – is that these are, by and large, conservative Christians deciding that the law from an official higher power in the government is going to be ignored. They aren’t going to pay attention to it, let alone follow it.
It’s not worth the paper it’s printed on.
Christians and government leaders
But aren’t we, as Christians, told something about listening to the government and our leaders?
Submission to the Authorities
Ro 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4 For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
Ro 13:6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Yes, like that.
And now. in these times when so many Christians seem to look more to political leaders for their Christian values than to the church, the Bible, or God, that’s a problem. Yes, some of you will disagree. But hang in there.
What does this combination of things mean to us as Christians? Too many are already turning to political leaders instead of the church.
The church (should) teach things like that passage from Romans. But at least some political leaders are teaching something quite different. In one sense, you could think it’s about only obeying laws that are somehow “worth obeying”. Worth the paper they’re printed on.
Maybe when we’re Christian and they’re claiming to be supporting Christianity, we assume we’re doing the right things if we support those leaders that we like because they’re supporting Christianity.
But are they? Haven’t they just violated some of God’s word when they openly defy the authorites above them?
So what this really comes down to is: obey them, and don’t worry about the law. We’ll take care of it.
Do you think that’s OK? Obviously, a whole lot of people in this country do believe it’s perfectly OK!
But let’s proceed to the next question.
Were the Ten Commandments worth the rock they were chiseled into?
Oh. Uh, does this change anything? Or do you just get glib and say they were in stone, not paper, so the question doesn’t apply? If you want to be like that, pull out a paper Bible and ask yourself the question again.
Now, I know there are some that try to say the Old Testament law doesn’t apply anymore. he New Testament, Jesus, did away with it.
Sorry, but that’s just not true.
The Fulfillment of the Law
Mt 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
As you can see, I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
Now, maybe you think that’s not worth the paper it’s printed on either. And yet, it’s what Jesus said. Sure, you can reject Jesus’ words. That’s your right. We all have the free will to do that. But, …
Before we get into the “but”, let’s look at another passage.
More words from Jesus
John 3:16
Jn 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
Surely, you recognize these words if you’re Christian.
However, before you reject them as not worth the paper they’re printed on, do you know what they mean? Specifically, for starters, do you know what the word “believe” means? I don’t mean what we think it means today. I mean what it meant back then. When the words were spoken. Within the context of the entire Bible. Within God’s plan for our salvation. Your salvation.
“Believe” didn’t mean just believe it in our heads.
It was, looking at both the Greek word behind it and the context of Jesus’ teachings and the Bible as a whole, a belief that’s so strong that we will want to change the way we live.
That’s what Christian transformation is all about.
It’s our desire, from the Holy Spirit, to follow Jesus. Our use of the strength and power of the Holy Spirit to overcome our own desires and follow the path God has for us.
Or, we can say the Bible isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.
Conclusion – Is the Bible worth the paper it’s printed on?
Yes, we have the right to reject laws from authorities. We can ignore the words above from Romans.
We can even ignore the words below from Jesus:
Paying Taxes to Caesar – Mark
12:13-17 pp — Mt 22:15-22; Lk 20:20-26
Mk 12:13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
Mk 12:17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
And they were amazed at him.
By ignoring those words I mean that we can give to Caesar what is God’s. We have free will. We can do that.
And we can ignore the part where Jesus spoke about the Law in Matthew.
We can even ignore John 3:16.
Yes, God allows us to ignore all those words. And more. We can even ignore Him completely.
We even get to claim that we’re Christian while doing all those things!
However, and here comes the “but …”, will God ignore His own word?
He did actually answer that question for us.
The Narrow Door
Lk 13:22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
Lk 13:26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
Lk 13:27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
Lk 13:28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
No – God will not ignore His own Word.
Yes, we can. But, our outcome is described above. One more time:
Lk 13:27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
Lk 13:28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
So, ignore laws we’re supposed to follow here on earth. Start the slippery slope of listening to people instead of God. Then start ignoring God’s laws. But realize, when you do that, God will do exactly what He said He would do when we choose to follow that path.
We have the free will to follow another path. But it’s not like we don’t know where that path leads. Unless, of course, we decide that warning isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on either.
But remember what David wrote:
Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.
Be wise. Your soul depends on realizing that the Bible is worth the paper it’s printed on. And so much more.
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